By Saidu Abubakar
Nigeria’s podium finish at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship is, no doubt, a sign of good things to come for the country in becoming a dominant performer in the international space. The euphoria that greeted Ruth Asuquo Nyong’s silver-winning had hardly died down in Ahmedabad, India, venue of the world meet, when God blessed Nigeria with a golden feat by Didih Onome Omolola, who won gold in a 53 kg contest. Nyong won in the 48 kg junior women’s category on Monday. She had earlier lifted a combined total of 167 kg (72 kg snatch + 95 kg clean and jerk) to secure third place.
India’s Mirabai Chanu, competing for the first time since her fourth-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics, stole the spotlight with a gold-winning performance. The former world champion lifted 193 kg (84 kg snatch + 109 kg clean and jerk) to set new Commonwealth Championship records in all three categories and book her qualification for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Soumya Sunil Dalvi of India claimed silver with a total of 177 kg (76 kg snatch + 101 kg clean and jerk), while Nyong ensured Nigeria’s presence on the podium with her bronze-winning lift.
Chanu, who has previously won three golds (2013, 2017, 2019) and one silver (2015) at the championships, missed out on her final snatch attempt of 87 kg and her last clean and jerk attempt of 113 kg but still proved too strong for the field. Her return to the 48 kg division comes after the International Weightlifting Federation discontinued the 49 kg class, where she had set personal bests of 88 kg in snatch, 119 kg in clean and jerk, and 205 kg in total.
Elsewhere, India’s Dharmajyoti Dewgharia lifted 224 kg (97 kg snatch + 127 kg clean and jerk) to win gold in the men’s 56 kg youth division, setting youth Commonwealth records.
Payal also impressed in the youth women’s 48 kg with a 166 kg total (73 kg + 93 kg), while Preetismita Bhoi triumphed in the youth 44 kg with 150 kg (63 kg + 87 kg).
The 30th edition of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships features more than 300 athletes from 31 countries and doubles as a qualification pathway for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile, the National Sports Commission has applauded Didih Onome Omolola for winning gold in the women’s 53 kg at the ongoing championships, including Asuquo Nyong’s silver win in the 48 kg junior women’s category on Monday.
An elated NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, believes that with Onome’s golden lift, the floodgate of medals for Team Nigeria has been opened, Dr. (Mrs) Kehinde Ajayi FCAI, ANIPR, Director of Information and PR of the NSC, said in a statement.
His words: “This championship will serve as qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games next year, meaning that it’s imperative to excel so as to earn the right to participate at the Games next year. It’s for this reason we ensured there is dedicated budget line in the Appropriation Act to support this process, which was gratuitously approved by Mr. President. This has guaranteed some level of stability for the qualifiers and preparations for these major events like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games well ahead of time, so there is no excuse this time.
“Weightlifting has always been our sport of comparative advantage, and we are expecting a harvest of gold medals beginning with Onome. We have been keeping tabs with the contingent in India and getting regular updates, just like we do with all our contingents in international duties. This same contingent finished top at the African Weightlifting Championship in Mauritius earlier this year, so they can be termed African champions,” Dikko enthused.
Similarly, the NSC Director-General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, expressed optimism that Team Nigeria will bring more glory in India.
“I was with this team in Mauritius when they won the African championships, and I can vouch for them. We have a generation of podium performers in the current weightlifting set-up, and the Commonwealth Championship is another platform for them to conquer the world,” he said.
The Commonwealth Senior, Junior and Youth Weightlifting Championship held in India from August 20 to 30.