Armwrestling: Grace Minta becomes Ghana and Africa’s historic gold-wielding champion

Grace Minta, 40, has written her name in the history books.

The Ghanaian athelete has become the first African woman to win gold at the World Armwrestling Championship and Ghana’s first-ever World Armwrestling Championship gold medalist.

Grace Minta bagged her gold medal in Moldova after besting her fellows from Sweden, Ukraine, Germany and Turkey in the women’s 80kg category.

A police officer with the Ghana Police Service, Ms Minta is a force on the continent, dominating African armwrestling since 2019, winning the African Championship back-to-back and recently earning double gold at the 2023 African Games for her ambidextrous efforts.

Her celebrated win in Moldova is truly monumental because her first worldwide armwrestling experience at the 2023 World Combat Games, Saudi Arabia, saw her failing to enter the medal zone.

“This is a dream come true for me. I am so grateful to my President Mr Charles Osei Asibey, family, coaches, Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armwrestling Federation for their unwavering support,” she told the Ghana News Agency (GNA). “This gold medal is not just for me but for my country and the entire African armwrestling community!”

She received her Master Women 80kg left-arm victory as an omen for greater exploits, shedding tears of joy as the Ghana national anthem played while she stood, proud, on the podium with her hard-won gold around her neck.

Grace Minta returns home on Sunday, August 25.

| Ghana’s armwrestling team members: Grace Minta, Blessing Abeka Nunoo, Edward Yamoah Asamoah and Godwin Sackey

The World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) announced readiness for the 45th World Armwrestling and 26th World Para-Armwrestling Championships on June 22. The activities are currently ongoing in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova (August 15 & 25).

The championship is hosted by the Moldovan National Sport Federation of Armwrestling (FNSARM), under the leadership of President Alexandru Grumeza and General Secretary Ms. Anna Belenciuc, with over 1,500 competitors, officials, and supporters from more than 60 countries welcomed.

While all finals and senior semi-finals are broadcast live on TV, the entire championship is live-streamed on the Olympic Channel platform and the WAF YouTube Channel.

Source:classfmonline.com