N5.4M up for grabs as Kingsley Awodi Para Powerlifting Open Championship begins in Abuja

The Kingsley Awodi Para Powerlifting Open Championship kicked off in Abuja on May 1 with over N5.4 million in prize money set to reward Nigeria’s strongest athletes.

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Organizers confirmed that 120 podium spots will be up for grabs across 20 weight classes, with the winners of each class taking home N100,000. Second place wins N70,000, third gets N50,000, while fourth, fifth and sixth place finishers will receive N30,000, N15,000 and N7,000 respectively.

Prize breakdown:*

1st place: N100,000 x 20 categories = N2,000,000

2nd place: N70,000 x 20 categories = N1,400,000

3rd place: N50,000 x 20 categories = N1,000,000

4th place: N30,000 x 20 categories = N600,000

5th place: N15,000 x 20 categories = N300,000

6th place: N7,000 x 20 categories = N140,000

Total prize purse: N5,440,000

The three-day championship began on May 1 with the arrival of athletes and a technical meeting to set competition standards. The lifting action will take place from May 1 to 3.

The event, funded by philanthropist Kingsley Awodi, is designed to deepen Nigeria’s talent pool and provide para-athletes with constant competition and financial reward. Nigeria remains a world powerlifting powerhouse and championships like this keep the next generation of medalists on their toes and motivated.

More than 100 lifters are expected to compete for cash and national ranking points, and the Kingsley Awodi Open will raise the bar for funding and visibility for Paralympic sports in Nigeria.