Ezuruike Opens Nigeria's Glasgow 2026 Medal Account with Silver

Posted : 27 July 2026

Team Nigeria opened its medal account at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in impressive fashion on Saturday as Paralympian Roland Ezuruike claimed a silver medal in the Men's Lightweight Group A Para Powerlifting event.

Ezuruike produced a remarkable performance to finish with 153.9 points, securing Nigeria's first podium finish of the Games and laying down an early marker for the country's medal ambitions.

The experienced para powerlifter came agonisingly close to winning gold after attempting a Commonwealth Games record lift of 190kg on his final attempt.

Although he fell short of completing the lift, his outstanding display was enough to earn him the silver medal and the admiration of spectators inside the venue.

In recognition of his achievement, the National Sports Commission (NSC) immediately rewarded Ezuruike with a $2,000 cash incentive for winning silver.

The medal also earned him an additional $2,000 performance bonus under the Commission's athlete reward programme, taking his total earnings to $4,000.

Nigeria also celebrated a landmark achievement on the basketball court as the men's 3x3 team secured the country's first-ever Commonwealth Games victory in the event, defeating the Cayman Islands 21-17.

Esosa Okundaye and Ikechukwu "Ike" Nwamu led the scoring with six points apiece as Nigeria produced an impressive display to begin its campaign on a winning note.

Nwamu credited the victory to the team's extensive preparations and the support received from the NSC.

"It was a great match. We fought hard, and our preparations paid off as we won Nigeria's first game in 3x3 basketball at the Commonwealth Games.

"We are now getting ready for the next two games. Playing for Nigeria means a lot to me, and every opportunity I have to represent my country means everything.

"We thank the National Sports Commission for allowing us to prepare properly. We trained with the Netherlands national team, who won the gold medal in 3x3 basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and that preparation really helped us," he said.

Nigeria was scheduled to continue its group-stage campaign later in the day against Australia before rounding off with a clash against New Zealand in pursuit of a place in the knockout stage.

There was, however, disappointment in the boxing ring as Ayomide Foly Hassan bowed out in the men's 70kg Round of 32 after losing on points to Lesotho's Refiloe Thai.

Attention now shifts to more Nigerian medal hopefuls, with Esther Oyema, Esther Nworgu, Rita Ferdinand, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, and Rilwan Idris set to compete in the para powerlifting events.

In boxing, Abdulramon Abdulwahab was also scheduled to represent Nigeria in the men's 68kg category as Team Nigeria sought to build on its encouraging start to the Games.

Nigeria's strong opening day highlighted the country's potential to add more medals as the competition progresses, with several leading athletes still set to compete across multiple events in Glasgow.

Ezuruike Opens Nigeria's Glasgow 2026 Medal Account with Silver

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