Adesokan aims to defend his title at Rio 2016

“My biggest rival though, will be Vietnam’s Van Cong Le because he is the most outstanding and very strong lifter behind me.”

Nigeria’s powerlifter Yakubu Adesokan says he is ready to reclaim his Paralympic gold in the men’s up to 49kg and defend his title from London 2012.

After four years of hard training and showing excellent form by winning his first world title in 2014, he looks like one of the strongest contenders for gold at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

“I feel most honoured and happy to have qualified for the Rio Games. Now, I have acquired enough confidence to face the world and to excite my fans during the Games,” Adesokan said.

He is motivated by what Rio 2016 will bring. “I am looking forward to seeing a better performance of all the athletes, fair-play and a very conducive atmosphere for us athletes participating during the Games,” he said.

The Nigerian also has clear goals in his mind. “My aim is to do better than my previous outing at the London 2012 Games,” he said.

“I hope that the whole world will stand up to watch the Nigerian flag in our venue as they recite my country’s national anthem again in Rio.”

He has set his goals high, not forgetting the rivals he will face.

“At the Paralympics it is important not to underrate any lifter,” he said.

“My biggest rival though, will be Vietnam’s Van Cong Le because he is the most outstanding and very strong lifter behind me.”

Even though Adesokan lost to Le at the 2015 IPC Powerlifting Asian Open Championships and the Vietnamese also broke his world record with a 182kg lift, the Nigerian remains positive.

“I am very confident to win the gold again at Rio 2016 because I have training results towards this course. There is no two ways to success in powerlifting except by hard working in training.”

Adesokan also gains positive energy from thinking back to his huge success in 2012. “For me to win Paralympic gold during London 2012 was a dream come true,” he said.

“It was wonderful and awesome back home in Nigeria as the nation stood up in honouring the Paralympic heroes for the job well done.”

“My biggest dream for Rio now is to see an even larger turnout watching excellent display of performances showcasing the unique ability in disabilities during these Games.”

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Sport fans from around the world can now buy their Paralympic tickets for Rio 2016 from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs).

The IPC’s Global ATR is Jet Set Sports, and Rio 2016 tickets and packages can be purchased on the CoSport website.

Residents of Brazil can buy 2016 Paralympics tickets directly from the Rio 2016 website.

Visa International is the exclusive payment card and the official payment system for the Paralympic Games.