‘I used my own jersey for the competition’- Ghana’s gold medalist Winnifred Ntumi

Ghana’s first gold medalist at the 2023 African Games Winnifred Ntumi has revealed that she had to use her own jersey to compete for the nation at the Games

The weightlifter clinched her first silver medal in the (49kg snatch) as well as the (Clean and Jerk) events before winning her gold medal for Ghana on Sunday bringing his tally to three medals at the event.

Ghana’s first medalist, Winnifred Ntumi at the 2023 African Games carried the Ghana flag during the opening ceremony last week.

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Speaking in an interview with 3FM on the Sunrise show, Ntumi expressed her disappointment and dissatisfaction with the equipment and management given her ahead of the event.

According to her despite winning Ghana’s first three medals at the Games, the provision and management afforded her was not the best ahead of the Games.

“I had to use my own jersey for this competition, the items for this contest came in a day before, which is very bad. I was given size 40 boots for my weightlifting instead of a thirty-eight”, she said.

Despite her concerns, Winifred Ntumi was also full of joy and satisfaction with her performance, believing her focus was crucial in the win.

“Well, my mind was only set up on making a good performance, which I did and through that, it made me get one gold and two silver. How can I even put it, I was more than excited. I was more than happy. I don’t know the kind of words to use to express this happiness. Winning Ghana’s first gold and silver medals, i was so happy”, she said.

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Ntumi was the first to win a medal for Ghana at the 2019 African Games in Morocco, and she has repeated that feat once more in this edition.

However, she believes that there was intense pressure on her to deliver as Ghana had not won a medal ahead of her events.

“Yes actually there was, since way back in camp, there was a lot of pressure but I just had to calm down and when the games started competing and others had no medals, I was like.. so am I going to be the first Ghanaian to win a medal again in 2024? So I just stayed calm and focused on what I can do best, and God being so great, I was able to deliver for Ghana”, she added.

Ghana now sits in 10th place on the medal table with one gold and three silver medals as Abeiku Jackson also clinched Ghana’s first-ever swimming medal on Sunday night in the 50m butterfly at the Borteyman Aquatic Center.

There is a lot to still battle for in the Games, and Ntumi will hope her colleagues and other Ghanaian athletes will rise to the occasion as the 2023 African Games progresses.

By Prosper Kuzo|3Sports|Ghana