Gateway Games 2024: Lucky Wins Kano’s First Gold Medal at NSF
By Yusuf A. Yusuf Giginyu
Weightlifter Lucky Orobasa has secured Kano State’s first gold medal at the ongoing 2024 National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged Gateway Games, in Abeokuta.
Orobasa clinched the gold in the 109kg men’s snatch category, delivering the first top podium finish for Team Kano. His teammate, Yahaya Abdullahi, added to the medal haul by winning a silver and a bronze in the 109kg clean and jerk categories.
In total, Kano’s male weightlifters earned three medals in the 109kg division—one gold, one silver, and one bronze.
The athletes expressed their commitment to achieving even greater success at the next edition of the festival scheduled to hold in Enugu.
In the women’s weightlifting events, Temidayo Jegede won two silver and one bronze medal in the 55kg category, while Adamma Dorcas Anyimba secured two bronze medals in the 49kg category.
Speaking on the team’s performance, Kano’s weightlifting coach, Ahmed Aliyu, praised the athletes and thanked Almighty Allah for their success.
“We came to Abeokuta aiming for all the gold medals in weightlifting. Though injuries and a few errors held us back, we’re grateful to have won one gold, three silvers, and four bronze medals,” he said.
In other events, Kano athletes also shined in taekwondo. Musa Muhammad won silver in the 54kg category, S. Baffa earned silver in the 63kg category, while Ibrahim Mukhtar secured a bronze medal.
