Luanda - The Angolan weightlifter Pedro Adão won, this Thursday, the bronze medal at the African Paralympic Weightlifting Championships, that took place in Cairo, Egypt.
In the 49 kg event, the athlete lifted 125 kg and was only beaten by the Algerian Hadj Ahamail (148 kg), who ended in the first position, and by the Egyptian, Abdala Ehoul, who ranked second (135 kg).
The other member of the national team, Mauro Luís (49 kg), got the sixth position.
This category had the participation of 12 athletes divided into two series (A and B), taking the three best marks in the overall to the podium.
This is the second international presence of Angola in this competition at the adapted sports level, after the debut in 2014 in the 11st edition of the Pan African games, held in the Republic of Congo.
At the time, the current coach, Tony Baltazar, was an athlete in the 80 kg specialty, ranking in the ninth position, out of more than two dozens of competitors.
Due to technical reasons, the athletes Alcides (49 kg) and Laurete Cassoma (75 kg) were disqualified.
After the victory, Pedro Adão told ANGOP that this was the result of long years of dedication and that he always believed in reaching the podium in his first international competition.
In his turn, the national coach, Tony Baltazar, said it was a medal of sacrifices, which will serve to stimulate the athletes registered by the Angolan Paralympic Committee and others who want to join the group.
He said the strategy was to get on the podium at the continental competition and then work towards the World Championship and qualification for the Paralympic Games.
This unique moment of the national adapted weightlifting team comes at a time when the country is still celebrating the conquest of second position in the World Championship for Amputees, which recently ended in Turkey, with the victory of the hosts.
Angola were the champions, a title they won in 2018 in Mexico.
