C’wealth Games: Team Nigeria celebrate another gold as Umoafia sets new Games record
Team Nigeria continued their medals haul at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland with another gold medal and Games in the process.
The new Commonwealth Games record Monday came through reached new weightlifting star Edidiong Joseph Umoafia who delivered a masterclass performance to clinch the gold medal in the men’s 71kg event.
The spectacular victory secured Nigeria’s fourth gold medal of the Games, further solidifying the nation’s dominance on the weightlifting platform.
Umoafia left his competitors trailing from the start of the event, showcasing incredible power and technical precision by lifting a commanding 147kg in the snatch.
He followed that up by matching the field’s best in the clean and jerk with a 172kg lift, finishing with a massive combined total of 319kg— which is a new Commonwealth Games record in the process.
The intense battle for the podium saw Samoa’s John Lautafi Tafi push hard, matching Umoafia’s 172kg in the clean and jerk, but ultimately settling for the silver medal with a combined total of 314kg.
Ezekiel Moses of Nauru rounded off the top three, taking home the bronze medal with a respectable total lift of 310kg.
Umoafia’s record-breaking triumph sparked wild celebrations among the Team Nigeria contingent in Glasgow.
With this latest gold, Tean Nigeria’s overall medal haul continues to rise, keeping the squad in high spirits as momentum heavily builds toward the highly anticipated track and field events.
