Johnson Abotsi (M) flanked by some of Ghana’s athletes
Ghana’s young weightlifters delivered an impressive performance on the opening day of the 2025 African Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships.
The tournament, taking place from August 18 to 22, 2025, at the Ga-Mashie Hall, Trust Sports Emporium in Accra, saw Ghana secure a bronze medal and set a new national record, a testament to the growing strength of the country’s youth sports programme.
The event features strong competition from 18 African countries, with Nigeria’s Ezenwa Chinaza Cecilia winning three medals in the 48kg youth category, underlining the high level of talent on display.
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Ghana’s athletes, competing across various weight classes, brought pride to the nation, building on the country’s successful organisation of the weightlifting component of the 2023 African Games, which earned them hosting rights for this championship.
In an interview, head coach of the Ghana junior weightlifting team, Michael Johnson Abotsi, expressed pride in his athletes.
“You cannot expect a three-month-old baby to walk. I only trained this team for three months, and seeing one set a national record and another win a bronze medal makes me very happy,” he said.
He added, “You need to thank the coach for a good job. To train athletes for just three months under hardship and difficulties and still win a medal is not easy.”
The championships, an essential platform for young athletes aiming to qualify for the Africa Youth Games in Angola and the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, have spotlighted Ghana’s rising prominence in African weightlifting.
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