Team Nigeria delivered one of its strongest performances at the 2026 Commonwealth Games on Monday, winning three weightlifting gold medals and qualifying several athletes for the 100 metres semi-finals as the country’s medal tally continued to rise in Glasgow, Scotland.
The latest victories came through Edidiong Joseph Umoafia, Onome Didih and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, who all produced record-breaking performances to strengthen Nigeria’s reputation as one of the leading weightlifting nations at the Games.
Their victories increased Nigeria’s gold medal count, while the country’s sprinters also impressed on the opening day of athletics competition at Scotstoun Stadium.
Umoafia opened Nigeria’s golden run by claiming the men’s 71kg title with a Commonwealth Games record total lift of 319kg.
The Nigerian lifter set a new Games record of 147kg in the snatch before adding 172kg in the clean and jerk to finish ahead of Samoa’s Joseph Tafi, who lifted a combined 314kg, while Nauru’s Elgin Moses claimed bronze with 310kg.
The victory earned Nigeria its fourth gold medal of the Games.
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Onome Didih followed with another dominant display in the women’s 53kg category, rewriting the record books in all three disciplines.
Didih lifted 93kg in the snatch and 113kg in the clean and jerk for a Games record total of 206kg.
India’s Gyaneshwari Yadav secured silver with a combined 199kg, while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx finished third with 178kg.
Nigeria’s outstanding day continued when Rafiatu Folashade Lawal captured the women’s 58kg title.
Lawal established new Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth records by lifting 103kg in the snatch and 126kg in the clean and jerk for a combined total of 229kg.
Her total left her 14kg clear of Canada’s Ann-Sophie Taschereau, who settled for silver with 215kg.
The National Sports Commission fulfilled its performance incentive promise by immediately rewarding each gold medallist with a $5,000 cash award and an additional $5,000 performance bonus deposited into their accounts.
Nigeria also enjoyed a positive start in athletics, with several sprinters advancing to the semi-finals of the men’s and women’s 100 metres.
Favour Ashe comfortably won the opening heat of the men’s 100m in 10.10 seconds to qualify automatically for Tuesday’s semi-finals.
Nicholas Fakorede also progressed after finishing second in Heat 10 in 10.21 seconds behind Lesotho’s Mojela Koneshe, whose winning time of 10.07 seconds set a new national record.
The pair will be joined in the semi-finals by Nigeria’s national record holder Kayinsola Ajayi, who received a bye into the next round under the competition format.
In the women’s 100m, 17-year-old Commonwealth Games debutant Miracle Ezechukwu impressed by winning her heat in 11.32 seconds despite running from lane eight.
She finished ahead of Barbados’ Kishawna Niles and Ghana’s Deborah Acheampong to qualify automatically.
Blessing Ogundiran and Rosemary Chukwuma also advanced, giving Team Nigeria three representatives in the women’s semi-finals.
Nigeria’s only disappointment in the field events came in the women’s hammer throw, where Sade Olatoye finished 10th in Group A qualification.
Olatoye recorded a best throw of 62.75 metres on her second attempt after registering faults in two of her three throws.
She acknowledged the result did not meet her expectations but remained positive about future competitions.
Weightlifting has traditionally been one of Nigeria’s strongest medal-producing sports at the Commonwealth Games, and Monday’s performances reinforced that reputation with multiple Games and Commonwealth records.
With athletics now underway and more medal events still to come, Team Nigeria will look to build on its momentum as it pursues one of its best-ever Commonwealth Games performances.
