Ex-Olympian, Oshomah, to Launch N50m Weightlifting Academy in Auchi Today

*Appeals to Obaseki, Shaibu, Alimikhena, others for support 

In an effort to raise the standard of weightlifting in the country, former world champion and Olympian, Coach Emmanuel Oshomah,  is set to launch a Weightlifting Academy, the first of its kind in Nigeria.

  The launching/Inauguration ceremony of weightlifting Academy known as Oshobugie, will hold today, September 1, 2022, at 12.noon at First Bawak, South Ibie, off Benin – Abuja Road, in Auchi, Edo State.

 Oshomah, an ex-Olympian from Edo State, stated that the vision to set up the  academy is meant to upgrade the standard of weightlifting  in Nigeria to world level. 

  “This is to make Nigeria known and respected as a foremost weightlifting nation, just as Cuba is known for Boxing and Jamaica is for athletics,” he stressed yesterday.

  Speaking further, Oshomah, who recently retired as weightlifting coach said; “Permit me to inform His Excellency that Nigeria has dominated weightlifting in Africa since the early 1980s, but is yet to replicate this at the world level. By now, Nigeria should now be consistent on the Olympic podium. The defunct Bendel was a leading weightlifting state in Nigeria, a position that was maintained by Edo and Delta states. That is what gives birth to this private initiative to situate the Academy in Auchi.”

  In his active days as a weightlifter, Oshomah represented Nigeria at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, USA, the World Weightlifting Championship in Sweden in 1985 as well as the 1987 All African Games in Nairobi, Kenya where he distinguished himself, winning two gold, one silver medal, setting a new African record in the process.

Throughout his career, Oshoma was never involved in any drug scandal.