Paris Paralympic Games: Team Nigeria wins first gold

Onyinyechi Mark, on Friday, won the first gold medal for Nigeria in the ongoing 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.

Mark set a new world record in the Women’s 61kg para-powerlifting category by lifting 150 kg to win gold for Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mark broke her record twice during the competition.

She earlier lifted 145kg, 146kg, 147kg, before she finally lifted 150kg to set the new Paralympic games and world record which won gold for Nigeria.

China’s Jianjin Ciu took the silver medal with a 140kg lift, while Mexico’s Amalia Vazquez Perez claimed the bronze.

Team Nigeria now has three medals.

Eniola Bolaji won a bronze medal in para-badminton in the Women SL3, while Esther Nworgu won silver in the 41kg.

Team Nigeria is still expected to win more medals in powerlifting and para-table tennis.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, had promised Team Nigeria in their camp in Germany that gold medalists would be rewarded with 15,000 dollars.

Enoh said silver medalists will get 10,000 dollars while bronze winners will go home with 5,000 dollars.

Team Nigeria’s para-table tennis players had a torrid time on Thursday as they lost their matches in two events of their competition at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the pair of Kayode Alabi and Faith Obazuaye lost 1-3 in the mixed doubles XD17 event.

They lost 6-11 11-7 6-11 6-11 to the pair of Joshua Stacey and Bly Twomey from Great Britain in their Round of 32 games.

Also, the Chinese pair of Peng Weinan and Huang Jiaxin beat the Nigerian pair of Alabi and Victor Farinloye 3-0 in the men’s doubles competition.

They won 11-9 11-5 118 in the MD14 event’s round of 16 fixture.

NAN reports that Team Nigeria will now have to hope for honours from the singles events at the competition, following this early exit.

Manchester City have completed a deal to re-sign Ilkay Gündogan from Barcelona.

The German midfielder has signed a one-year contract to return to the club he left for the Catalan giants in 2023.

The 33-year-old won 12 major trophies, including five Premier Leagues and the Champions League, in seven years during a hugely successful first spell at the Etihad Stadium.

“My seven years at Manchester City were a time of pure contentment for me, both on and off the pitch,” Gündogan said upon his return.

“I grew as a person and a player, developed a special relationship with the City fans and enjoyed amazing success. It was an exceptional period in my life.

“To have the opportunity to return here means so much. Everyone knows the respect I have for Pep – he is the best manager in the world.

“Working with him every day makes you a better player. You feel constantly challenged, which for any professional is exactly what you want. I cannot wait to work with him again,” he said.

Gündogan joined Barcelona on a free transfer in 2023 after captaining City to the treble in the final season of his first stint at the club.

He went on to become a mainstay of the Barcelona side but financial issues at the Camp Nou have reportedly hastened his exit after just one season.

It is thought Barcelona needed to release a high earner to allow them to register a new signing Dani Olmo.

Gündogan, who first joined City from Borussia Dortmund in 2016, is the champions’ second signing of the summer transfer window following the arrival of Brazilian winger Savinho.

He will give  Guardiola, who did not want Gündogan to leave in the first place, another option having lost forward Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.

(dpa/NAN)