Cairo 2025: Nigeria’s Ferdinard surprises Paralympic champion Han on thrilling day 1

Thrilling contests marked the opening day of the Elite competitions at the Cairo 2025 World Para Powerlifting Championships on Thursday (11 October) even as Paralympic stars returned to achieve glory one year since their Paris 2024 feats. 

The Cairo 2025 Worlds also marked the beginning of the qualification pathway for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics and thus the three categories contested on the day lived up to the expectations.

A total of 70 National Paralympic Committees is being represented by 537 athletes — 311 men and 226 women in Cairo, first time the event is being held in Africa.

Ready to watch the world’s strongest Para athletes?

Tune in to the Cairo 2025 World Championships from 9 to 18 October!

We’ll be live 🔴 for every category on the Paralympics YouTube channel: https://t.co/70289sr71x#Cairo2025 #ParaPowerlifting pic.twitter.com/OPgRQ0ylUa

— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) October 7, 2025

Nigeria’s newest star 

Much like the day started with exciting contest of the men’s up to 80 kg category, the final competition of the day was equally exhilarating.

In fact, it surprised everyone as Nigeria’s debutant Rita Ferdinard came from nowhere to clinch the women’s up to 79 kg gold.

Ferdinard made a dream debut to her international journey beating the reigning Paralympic champion Miaoyu Han of China in a show power and courage at the New Capital Sports Hall in Cairo.

Starting with an impressive 142 kg lift in her first-ever appearance in an international competition, Ferdinard added six more kilos in her second attempt which was enough to take the gold. 

Meanwhile, Han chose to attempt lighter weights – she had all clear lifts with the final one at 143 kg, which meant the Nigerian already was confirmed as the world champion before her third attempt.  

The 30-year-old athlete from Oyo state in Nigeria, however, went for 153 kg and broke the African record – one kilogram less than the standing world record of the Han set at Paris 2024.

Jordan’s Asma Issa settled for the bronze on 136 kg and claimed her first medal at a World Championships.

“I was super happy and excited. It was my first World Championship, and I managed to win the gold.”

“I trained for two months to compete in this championship. I hope to get a world record in the next championships,” said Ferdinard, who was the gold medallist at Nigeria’s National Sports Festival last year.

The Paralympic champion becomes world champion for the first time with a 121kg lift in the women’s up to 50kg.

Felicitaciones, Clara Fuentes 🇻🇪#Cairo2025 #ParaPowerlifting pic.twitter.com/672wffpFGc

— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) October 11, 2025

First world title 

It has been a while since Venezuelan Clara Fuentes Monasterio won her Paralympic gold in Paris. And she made sure that she wins it again at the right place – and it was right here at Cairo 2025.

Monasterio, the 28-year-old from Caracus, clinched her first Worlds title in a thrilling women’s up to 50 kg contest after lifting 121 kg in her second attempt. She has had a silver medal back at Tbilisi 2021 Worlds in women’s up to 41 kg.

Monasterio was challenged by Nigerian Esther Nworgu with both starting at 118kg, before the Venezuelan went ahead with her second attempt of 121 kg.

Nworgu, the silver medallist at Paris 2024 and Dubai 2023 Worlds in women’s up to 41 kg, succeeded in her second attempt of 120 kg and was unsuccessful in her lift of 125 kg. This made Clara the champion. 

Clara too failed in her third attempt but that didn’t affect the result. In the end, the golden colour of her medal matched the colour of her nail polish.

"I'm still recovering from the 125g lift - it was a tough one. But I'm happy and excited to get my first World Championships title. Cairo is special as today I competed my dream of being a Paralympic and world champion."

"After Paris, I took a long break - I got married and spent time with my family. I trained for two months before this championship. There was a lot of emotion today - I also felt a bit pressure as my Nigerian opponent was challenging me. But I enjoyed it," said the Santiago 2023 Parapan American champion.

Another strong athlete from Nigeria, Rukayat Ajiboye settled for the bronze. 

First elite champion crowned at #Cairo2025 👑

Gu Xiaofei 🇨🇳 grabs his third world title in the men’s up to 80kg with a 223kg lift. #ParaPowerlifting pic.twitter.com/4NxGv2988p

— Para Powerlifting (@Powerlifting) October 11, 2025

Exciting start 

Earlier, China’s Xiaofei Gu returned to the top of podium of a World Championships since Tbilisi 2021 displaying a confident show to take the gold in men’s up to 80 kg.

With the reigning Paralympic and world champion Roohallah Rostami moving up to men's up to 88 kg category, the field was wide open and four-time Paralympic silver medallist Gu grabbed the opportunity.

The fight was on between Gu and Uzbekistan’s Bekzod Jamilov, the bronze medallist at Dubai 2023 Worlds and Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games in men’s up to 72 kg.

With one kilogram separating the two strong lifters after the second attempt, the Chinese went for his third successful attempt at 223. The Uzbek athlete settled with 222. Iraq’s Rasool Mohsin stayed on the heels of the leaders with a powerful show only to settle on 221 kg and took the bronze. 

Refugee Paralympic Team athlete Hadi Darvish finished on eighth place but achieved his career best entering the 200-mark. South Korea’s Gyuho Kim, aiming for his first medal at a global competition, settled for the fourth place on 205 kg.  

“We do a lot of training with the coach. And this helped me maintain my form since Paris 2024,” said Gu on winning the Worlds title once year after Paralympics. 

“It’s a pity that I couldn’t compete against him (Roohalah Rostami). Hope I get to compete against him in the next championships,” he added on missing the chance to compete against the Irian star.

Live results from all the Cairo 2025 action are available on the World Para Powerlifting website. All categories will also be live streamed via the Paralympic Games YouTube channel.

The Elite competition continues until 18 October with three events lined up for Sunday (12 October) with athletes competing in men’s up to 88 kg, men’s up to 59 kg and women’s up to 55 kg weight categories. 

The medallists

Women’s up to 50 kg

Gold: Clara Fuentes Monasterio (VEN)
Silver: Esther Nworgu (NGR) 
Bronze: Rukayat Ajiboye (NGR)

Women’s up to 79 kg

Gold: Rita Ferdinard (NGR) 
Silver: Miaoyu Han (CHN) 
Bronze: Asma Issa (JOR)

Men’s up to 80 kg

Gold: Xiaofei Gu (CHN) 
Silver: Bekzod Jamilov (UZB)
Bronze: Rasool Mohsin (IRQ)