Bet9ja boosts powerlifting

Sports betting company Bet9ja  says it decided to sponsor  powerlifter Kareem Waheed to the United States Amateur Athletes Championships, where he emerged as winner last month to help develop sports in the country.

 Bet9ja,  which sponsors the Nigeria National League, said it was not happy that powerlifting is  not getting the needed attention, hence it decided to assist.

“Powerlifting has been  in the doldrums in Nigeria, but we don’t want it to suffer the same fate as  the other individual sports, hence we sponsored Waheed to the competition (in Las Vegas, Nevada),” the company’s  Brands and Communications Manager Tunji Mesh said in a statement.

“But judging  by his performance a new breath of life had taken place, thanks to one powerlifter, who  decided to put the country on the global map through his  exploits in the US. We are encouraged to do more.”

Waheed,  popularly called Body,  beat all other  competitors in the championship.

His exploits  could inspire other athletes and at the same time popularise the sport in the country.

Body  was in the ‘Sin City’ in April where he also  led Nigeria to victory.