Edo Weightlifting Gets Boost As Ex-Commonwealth Medalist Ebireguesele Joins Board

Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting

Former Nigerian international weightlifter and Commonwealth medallist, Hon. Itohan Ebireguesele, has been appointed to the Board of the Edo State Weightlifting Association.

The appointment, dated August 31, 2026, was communicated by the Edo State Sports Commission in a letter signed by its Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Agatha Odigie.

The Commission highlighted Ebireguesele’s wealth of competitive experience, passion for sports, and commitment to sports development as key reasons for her appointment.

It expressed confidence that her wealth of knowledge and dedication would provide valuable leadership to the association, boost the development of weightlifting, and further strengthen the growth of sports across Edo State.

Ebireguesele’s appointment is expected to bring her years of experience as an elite athlete to bear in advancing weightlifting and nurturing the next generation of athletes in the state.

She brings to the board an impressive competitive record built over several years of representing Nigeria at major international championships.

She made a strong mark at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, where she competed in the women’s 69kg weightlifting category and won the bronze medal with a combined lift of 215kg, comprising 95kg in the snatch and 120kg in the clean and jerk.

Three years later, she produced another outstanding performance at the 2013 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Penang, Malaysia, winning gold in the women’s 69kg category with a total lift of 215kg.

Her international career reached another significant milestone at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, where she secured the silver medal in the women’s 69kg category with a total of 222kg-100kg in the snatch and 122kg in the clean and jerk.

The official Glasgow 2014 results confirm that Ebireguesele finished second behind Cameroon’s Marie Fegue, who recorded 234kg, while Canada’s Marie-Josée Arès-Pilon took bronze with 214kg.

With a career that has taken her to some of the most competitive stages in Commonwealth weightlifting, Ebireguesele is expected to bring first-hand knowledge of elite competition, athlete preparation, discipline, training and international sporting standards to her new administrative responsibility.

Her appointment also comes at a time when there is increasing emphasis on grassroots sports development, talent discovery and creating sustainable pathways for young athletes to progress from local competitions to national and international championships.

As a former elite athlete herself, Ebireguesele is expected to play a significant role in identifying emerging talents, mentoring young lifters and supporting initiatives aimed at improving athletes’ technical preparation and competitive readiness.

Her experience could also prove valuable in bridging the gap between athletes and sports administrators, particularly in understanding the practical challenges faced by competitors as they progress through different levels of competition.

Beyond athlete development, her inclusion on the board is expected to contribute to efforts to strengthen the structure and visibility of weightlifting in Edo State, while encouraging more young people to consider the sport as a pathway to personal development and international representation.

For Edo State, the appointment represents an opportunity to draw on the experience of a former national athlete who has competed and won medals at major international competitions.

Ebireguesele’s journey from representing Nigeria on the international stage to contributing to sports administration demonstrates how the experience of former athletes can be harnessed to develop the next generation of sporting talents.

Stakeholders in Edo’s sporting community will therefore be looking to the new board member to bring her experience, knowledge and passion for weightlifting to bear as the state continues its efforts to strengthen sports develop