Three More Lifters to Compete as Nigeria's Weightlifting Team Powers Medal Charge in Glasgow

Posted : 28 July 2026

Team Nigeria's weightlifting campaign at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games is set to gather further momentum as three more athletes prepare to compete following an extraordinary run that has already produced three gold medals, one silver, and a string of Commonwealth Games records.

Adedapo Opadeji will be in action in the men's 79kg event on Monday evening, while Mary Taiwo Osijo (women's 86kg) and Ruth Imoleayo Ayodele (women's 63kg) will also aim to add to Nigeria's growing medal haul.

Their events follow a sensational outing by Edidiong Joseph Umoafia, Onome Omolola Didih, and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal, who each captured gold medals in record-breaking fashion to reinforce Nigeria's reputation as one of Africa's leading weightlifting nations.

Umoafia, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, claimed the men's 71kg title after lifting 147kg in the snatch and 172kg in the clean and jerk for a Commonwealth Games record total of 319kg. Samoa's John Lautafi Tafi won silver with 314kg, while Nauru's Ezekiel Moses took bronze with 310kg.

Didih followed with a dominant performance in the women's 53kg category, breaking the Games snatch record with 93kg before completing a record total of 206kg after lifting 113kg in the clean and jerk. India's Gyaneshwari Yadav claimed silver, while Canada's Rebeka Groulx settled for bronze.

Lawal then capped a memorable day by successfully defending her Commonwealth Games crown in the women's 58kg division. She set a Games record of 103kg in the snatch before lifting 126kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a record total of 229kg, rewriting the competition records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and overall total.

Earlier, Ruth Asuquo Nyong had contributed a silver medal in the women's 48kg event, while Favour Agboro narrowly missed the podium with a commendable fourth-place finish.

President of the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul, attributed the team's success to effective planning, thorough preparation, and the strong collaboration between the federation and the National Sports Commission (NSC).

He said the partnership with the NSC, under the leadership of Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade, ensured the athletes benefited from quality camping programmes in Nigeria before their final preparations in Aberdeen, Scotland.

According to him, the athletes have justified that investment with exceptional performances, while the immediate financial rewards for medallists have provided further motivation for Team Nigeria.

Dr. Abdul also praised the federation's technical crew, led by Technical Director Sefiya Onubaye and Chief Luke Ibeh, for their professionalism and commitment throughout the preparation period.

He expressed confidence that the remaining Nigerian lifters would sustain the team's impressive form and further enhance the country's medal tally before the conclusion of the weightlifting competition.

With three more lifters set to compete, Team Nigeria will be aiming to build on its outstanding start and further strengthen its position on the Commonwealth Games medals table. Continued success in Glasgow would underline the country's growing dominance in weightlifting on the continental and international stage.

Three More Lifters to Compete as Nigeria's Weightlifting Team Powers Medal Charge in Glasgow

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