Nigeria reached new heights at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this Monday as weightlifters Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, Edidiong Joseph Umoafia, and Onome Omolola Didih each captured gold medals while setting new records. Lawal dominated the women’s 58kg category, totaling 229kg with a 103kg snatch and 126kg clean and jerk. Ann-Sophie Taschereau of Canada secured silver, followed by Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam from India with the bronze.
Umoafia set a personal best in the men’s 71kg division by lifting a combined 319kg. His performance, which included a 147kg snatch and 172kg clean and jerk, defeated silver medalist John Lautafi Tafi from Samoa and bronze medalist Ezekiel Moses representing Nauru. In the women’s 53kg event, Didih claimed victory with a 206kg total, establishing new Commonwealth and Games records along the way. Gyaneshwari Yadav of India took silver, while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx rounded out the podium.
These accomplishments brought Nigeria’s total tally to six gold and four silver medals. The nation’s weightlifting team has been instrumental in this success, contributing three gold and one silver alongside the impressive haul from the para powerlifting squad, which included gold medalists Esther Nworgu, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, and Riluwan Idris.
