Ghanaian weightlifter Winnifred Ntumi brought joy to her country by winning a gold and two silver medals on Sunday, marking Ghana’s first three medals in the competition.
The 21-year-old excelled in the 49-kilogram Snatch and Clean and Jerk categories, earning two silver medals. Her gold came in the overall 49kg category at the GCB Hall of the University of Ghana.
In the Snatch category, Ntumi secured second place with a lift of 63, just behind Mauritius’ Sheridane Pasnin (64) who took gold, and ahead of Madagascar’s Ny Hasina Andrimitantsoa Zo Lalainarinirina (60) who took third.
Tunisia’s Wada claimed gold in the Clean & Jerk with a lift of 81, with Ntumi closely behind at 81. Zo Lalain (80) and Pasnin (75) secured third and fourth place, respectively.
With a total of 144, Ntumi’s exceptional performance earned her the gold medal overall in the 49-kilogram category.
Ntumi’s recent success adds to her impressive track record, including three bronze medals in the women’s 45kg events at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco. She also won a bronze medal in the women’s 49kg bodyweight at the Africa Seniors Weightlifting Championship in Cairo, Egypt, when she was just 16 years old in 2019.
In December 2021, Ntumi won bronze in Uzbekistan during the World Championship/Commonwealth qualification in the 49kg category.