EXCLUSIVE : My dream was to be footballer, weightlifting sensation reveals

She was the cynosure of all eyes when she won three gold medals for Ebonyi State at the last national sports festival at Edo, the same feat, which she had repeated for Team Delta at the on – going sports festival in Asaba, that is laudable achievements of Joy Eze.

Unknown to millions of sports loving Nigerians that she began her sporting career on the football pitch at the base in Abakiliki, the capital of Ebonyi state.

However, there was something unique about her style of play on the football pitch which her football coach observed. She displayed too much raw power on the field and her coach then advised her to switch to any of of power sports.

Little wonder that her physical structure depicts that of a stocky footballer, but destiny took her to another sport entirely, which is weightlifting, where she has gone ahead to represent Nigeria at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

In an exclusive interview with www.totorinews.com in Asaba after winning three gold medals in 71kg category, she revealed that football was her first love, but she is very grateful to God for she has achieved as a weightlifter.

“I started as a footballer. My dream was to be a footballer, play for clubs and play for the Super Falcons, if possible,” Joy Eze said.

“I was playing for a grassroot club in my state, just normal football, but my coach then observed that I had so much power and he felt that I can do better in an individual sport.

“We have some individual power sports like boxing, wrestling, weightlifting and the rest. I decided to try weightlifting and I can only thank God for everything as a weightlifter.

“I won three gold medals at the last national sports festival in Edo state and i have also won the same three gold medals for Team Delta.

“I will keep working hard. My ultimate aim is to represent win medals for Nigeria in international sports championships like the Commonwealth and the Olympics,” she said.