The Black Optimists, Para Powerlifting team in Ghana, won 15 medals at the recently finished Accra 2023 Para Powerlifting Competition, which took place on Monday, June 19, 2023, at the Accra City Hotel.
The competition served as a warm-up for the upcoming Accra2023 first-ever Africa Para Games in September of this year. It was organised under the auspices of the African Paralympic Committee (AfPC) in partnership with the World Para Powerlifting (WPP).
The winners included Nkansah Akosua, Patricia Nyamekye, Dwomoh Hannah Owusu, Ampofo Juliana, Agyei Fredrick, Peter Abiola, Kankam Daniel, Obeng Isaac, Tagoe Isaac Nii Ayitey, Arthur Ebenezer, Oku Emmanuel Nii Tettey, Harrison Dzunku, Raphael Obodai, and Frank Fudzi, with Haruna Tahiru lifting 107+ weight in the Men’s Elite Categories.
Both Kouadio Akissi Michelle and Mariama Kpulum of Cote D’Ivoire and Sierra Leone won gold medals in the Women’s Elite 45 and 50kg categories.
However, Akosua Nkansah won gold in the Women’s Elite 55kg weightlifting category, but Patricia Nyamekye won gold in the 67Kg weightlifting category, with Dwomoh Hannah Owusu taking silver.
Burkina Faso’s Koulbi Victorine Guissou won gold in the 73kg weightlifting category, while Juliana Ampofo won gold in the 79kg weightlifting, followed by Cote Ivoire’s N’draman Grahi Reine Christina.
Sankoh Rugiatu and Amina Camara both won gold for their countries in the Women’s Elite 86 and +86kg weightlifting categories.
Togolese Aliou Bawa won the Men’s Elite 49kg weight lifting category, followed by Ghana’s Agyei Fredrick and Peter Abiola.
Ousseny Bance and Diamoutene Alidou of Cote D’l voire won gold in the Men’s Elite 54 and 59 weight lifting categories, with Kankam Daniel of Ghana taking silver and Soumah Lansana of Guinea taking bronze.
Obeng Isaac won the Men’s Elite 65kg weightlifting category, followed by Tagoe Isaac, with Nii Ayitey and Arthur Ebenezer finishing third for Ghana.
Oku of Ghana competed in the 72 Men’s Elite divisions. Emmanuel Nii Tettey won gold, while Harrison Dzunku took silver.
Raphael Obodai of Ghana, Coulibaly Karim of Cote D’lvoire, and Ano Adou Herve of Cote D’lvoire finished first through third in the men’s elite 80-weight divisions.
Oumarou N’ziba of Burkina Faso won gold in the men’s elite 88-pound weightlifting divisions, while Ghana’s Frank Fudzi won gold in the men’s elite 97-kg weightlifting divisions.
