Kenya Para Powerlifters finish second in debut Turkey games

Speaking after the event, gold medalist Joash Otieno Obende was over the moon after achieving what he has now termed as an imaginable fete on his debut international stage.

"This is beyond tears, I just can't believe it. It definitely has to go to my family and all gym partners in Kibra, I have worked so hard and never imagined that one day I will get a platform to showcase my abilities," an emotional Obende cried thanking the Ability Sports Kenya federation, the para umbrella body that is I'm charge of the team.

Before Obende's exploits, Eugine Batu was first on stage in the up to 59 kilos category with 16-year-old Lekaja Muraya who finished fourth after lifting one clean out of three, while Batu had two clean lifts out of three to win the silver, Kenya's first medal of the day.

Collins Adala and Joash Obende were next in the up to 65 kilos category, erupting the Mersin Amfi Tiyatro Park amphitheater to a thunderous applause after the Kenyan duo both had three out of three clean lifts, convincing results that saw event officials

Ehan Abassi from Iran, Veronica Kutchova from Czech and Ntalya Yskhay from Kazakhstan both agree in unison with white flags raised up, that indeed Obende deserved gold and Adala a bronze medal.

Joy Town Secondary school form three student, 19-year-old Sonia Tendai also made her Para Powerlifting debut in the up to 50 kilos category and won bronze for Kenya after lifting two clean out of three.

Tendai's schoolmate Margret Wamaitha was next in the up to 67 kgs, but only managed a clean lift out of three to finish at fourth place while another prodigy Merceline Kavumbi from the same school failed on her three attempts because of technicalities in the up to 61 kgs, finishing at sixth place.

Kazakhstan carried the day with a total of six medals, two adrift of Kenya, while hosts Turkey came in third, also tied with France at four medals as Croatia finished fifth, Brunnei was sixth, United Arab Emirates (UAE) seventh and Estonia completed the list at seventh place after winning only a medal.

Kenya Para Powerlifting national team will now relax on the sandy beaches of Pompei in Mersin as they cheer their counterparts from the Para Badminton teams who will play two finals on Friday, a well-deserved rest after a triumphant debut global stage performance, with all focus now being on how to conquer Africa.