Powerlifters bear the burden of Nigeria's Glasgow effort

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Before Tuesday’s breakthrough in athletics, every medal won by Team Nigeria at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games had come from weightlifters and para-powerlifters, and even after Kayinsola Ajayi and Temitope Adeshina won bronze on the track and in the field, lifters still account for the majority of the country’s haul, while Nigeria’s boxing campaign has suffered a collapse, with five of the six boxers fielded already eliminated.

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Team Nigeria’s overall medal tally now stands at 12, made up of six gold, four silver and two bronze, placing the country fifth on the standings and still the highest-ranked African nation at the Games, behind Australia (80 medals), England (43), Canada (35) and hosts Scotland, who moved above Nigeria with 15 medals, comprising seven gold, four silver and four bronze.

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Of Nigeria’s 12 medals, 10 have come from weightlifting and para powerlifting. Esther Nworgu, Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Riluwan Idris won gold in the para powerlifting events, with Roland Ezuruike, Esther Oyema and Rita Ferdinand adding silver in the same discipline. In weightlifting proper, Edidiong Umoafia, Onome Didih and Rafiatu Lawal all struck gold, while Ruth Nyong claimed silver in the women’s 48kg category.

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Umoafia won the men’s 71kg title with a Commonwealth Games record combined lift of 319kg, Didih claimed the women’s 53kg gold with a record total of 206kg, and Lawal successfully defended her Commonwealth title in the women’s 58kg event with a record total of 229kg.

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Athletics finally opened its account on Tuesday when Ajayi won bronze in the men’s 100m final in 9.90 seconds, becoming the first Nigerian man to win a medal in the event at the Games since Olusoji Fasuba’s silver 20 years ago in 2006. Cameroon’s Emmanuel Eseme took gold in a Games record 9.83 seconds, ahead of Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy (9.85 seconds), with South Africa’s Gift Leotlela fourth in 9.91 seconds. Adeshina added a second bronze in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.90m to finish behind Australia’s Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers.

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While athletics continues to offer fresh medal chances, Nigeria’s boxing campaign has been far less encouraging as Patricia Mbata became the latest boxer eliminated on Tuesday, losing a narrow 3-2 split decision to England’s Mary Kate Smith in the women’s 75kg quarter-final.

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