Paul Kehinde: Things You Didn’t Know About The Para-Powerlifter Champion Who Died At 33

Paul Kehinde, a Nigerian Para-powerlifter champion and record-breaker, died at 33 on Thursday and would be buried today at Epe, Lagos State.

The late para-athlete was born on July 7, 1988, in Epe, Lagos State, Nigeria.

He competed in the men’s 65 kg class and also occasionally in the 72 kg class.

Here are some things you should know about him:

When he started going to NationalStadium, he faced difficulties in transporting himself from his home in Ikorodu but never relented.

According to him, he sometimes begged for money from people to go for training.

Unlike many para-athletes, Kehinde had the support of his parents.

As of 2019, his ambition was to set a record that will be unbreakable in the next 10 or 20 years

His hero is Nigerian powerlifter, Grave ANOZIE

The late Kehinde was managed by Feyisetan ARE

Achievements:

2011–World Championships Silver medalist

2014- Commonwealth Games Gold medalist

2015- Malaysia World Cup Gold medalist

2015- All Africa Games Gold medalist setting an African Record of 214 kg.

2016- Rio Paralympics- Broke the World Record twice with lifts of 218 kg & 220 kg

2017- Mexico World Championships Gold medalist with another World Record lift of 220.5 kg.

2018 -World Para-Power lifting Championships, Fazza, Dubia. Gold medal with Record breaking lift of 221 kg.

2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia. Silver medalist in +65 kg Para-Power lifting

2018-August – African Para-Power lifting Championships +65 kg Gold medalist

2018-December -Nigerian National Sports Festival +65 kg Silver medalist.

2020: World Para Powerlifting World Cup gold medallist – lifted 194kg,

Ban

He died barely five weeks after being issued a 30-month ban for committing an anti-doping rule violation by the International Paralympic Committee.

In a statement by the IPC on October 11, Kehinde was said to have tested positive for prohibited substances following a urine sample provided out-of-competition on 9 March 2020. Making this his second ADRV.

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Source: The PUNCH