By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Glasgow, Scotland — Team Nigeria made a sensational start to its Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign on Friday, winning three gold medals and three silver medals while setting multiple world records to announce its arrival as one of the competition’s standout nations.
Nigeria’s medal haul came largely through its dominant para powerlifting team, which reaffirmed the country’s status as a global force in the sport.
Paralympian Roland Ezuruike opened Nigeria’s medal account with a silver medal in the Men’s Lightweight Group A event after scoring 153.9 points. Ezuruike narrowly missed a Commonwealth Games record lift of 190kg on his final attempt in a bid for gold.
Esther Nworgu then secured Nigeria’s first gold medal of the Games with a commanding performance in the women’s lightweight category. She lifted 123kg to score 119 points, breaking the Commonwealth Games record before surpassing her own mark minutes later to seal an emphatic victory.
Nigeria completed a one-two finish in the event as veteran Esther Oyema claimed silver with a successful 125kg lift, finishing ahead of England’s Olivia Broome, who settled for bronze.
Team captain Folashade Oluwafemiayo delivered another historic performance by breaking her own world record twice in the women’s event. The reigning Paralympic and Commonwealth champion first lifted 172kg before raising the bar again with a remarkable 175kg effort on her final attempt, setting a new world record and claiming Nigeria’s second gold medal.
Rita Ferdinand also entered the record books after lifting 158kg in the women’s up to 79kg category to break the previous world record of 154kg held by China’s Han Miaoyu. Her record-breaking effort earned her the silver medal.
Nigeria rounded off a memorable evening when Rilwan Idris captured the men’s heavyweight para powerlifting title. Idris lifted 208kg to score 132.8 points and edge England’s Matthew Harding to the gold medal, while Malaysia’s Nicodemus Moses claimed bronze.
The National Sports Commission’s athlete reward programme also came into effect, with medal-winning athletes receiving instant cash rewards and performance bonuses.
Beyond the powerlifting arena, Nigeria’s men’s 3×3 basketball team suffered its first defeat of the tournament, losing 21-15 to Australia after earlier recording the country’s first-ever Commonwealth Games victory in the event with a 21-17 win over the Cayman Islands. Ikechukwu Nwamu led the Nigerian scoring with nine points as the team shifted focus to a decisive group-stage clash against New Zealand.
In boxing, Abdulramon Abdulwahab exited the men’s 65kg competition after a unanimous 5-0 defeat to Uganda’s Nuhu Batte in the Round of 32.
With six medals—three gold and three silver—on the opening day, Team Nigeria has made an impressive statement and will look to build on its strong start as competition continues in Glasgow.
