Team Nigeria’s impressive run at the 2026 Commonwealth Games continued on Sunday as weightlifter Onome Didih delivered a sensational performance to win the country’s fifth gold medal in Glasgow.
Competing in the women’s 53kg category, Didih dominated the field and rewrote the record books, setting new Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total lift.
She began her campaign by clearing 93kg in the snatch, establishing a new benchmark before producing another outstanding lift of 113kg in the clean and jerk.
Her combined total of 206kg sealed the gold medal and completed a remarkable clean sweep of records in the event.
India’s Gyaneshwari Yadav finished second with a total lift of 199kg to claim the silver medal, while Canada’s Rebeka Groulx took bronze after lifting 178kg.
Didih’s triumph came just hours after fellow Nigerian lifter Edidiong Joseph Umoafia clinched gold in the men’s 71kg category.
Umoafia also produced a record-breaking display, finishing with a total of 319kg after lifting 147kg in the snatch and 172kg in the clean and jerk.
His performance earned him a new Commonwealth Games record, ahead of Samoa’s Joseph Tafi, who won silver with 314kg, while Nauru’s Elgin Moses settled for bronze with 310kg.
The latest victories have further strengthened Nigeria’s position on the medals table, with weightlifting once again proving to be one of the country’s strongest sports at the Games.
Nigeria’s gold medal haul began with Esther Nworgu, who won the women’s lightweight para powerlifting title after setting a new Commonwealth Games record with 119 points.
The National Sports Commission has also maintained its financial reward scheme for medal winners, with every Nigerian gold medallist receiving a total reward of $10,000. The incentive includes an immediate cash payment of $5,000, while the remaining $5,000 will be paid directly into the athlete’s bank account.
Ahead of her decisive lift, Didih also received an additional promise of a $2,000 performance bonus from the Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, as part of efforts to motivate Team Nigeria athletes.
With more events still to come in Glasgow, Nigeria will be hoping its strong showing in weightlifting and para powerlifting provides the momentum for an even bigger medal haul before the Games conclude.
