Umoafia Wins Gold, Eyes 2028 Olympics After 16 Years

Edidiong Joseph Umoafia won Nigeria's fourth gold medal in the 71kg weightlifting category at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, with a record lift of 319kg. He is the first male Nigerian weightlifter to secure a gold medal in 16 years, following a history of female victories in previous Commonwealth Games.

Umoafia achieved a Games record with a 147kg lift in the Snatch and 172kg in the Clean and Jerk, finishing ahead of Samoa's Joseph Tafi and Nauru's Elgin Moses. After receiving his medal, Umoafia expressed his joy at breaking the male weightlifting gold drought and stated his intention to compete for a medal at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, USA.

He emphasized the importance of continued support from the National Sports Commission as he prepares for Olympic qualifiers starting in December. Team Nigeria also secured three additional gold medals in weightlifting on the same day, with notable performances from Onome Didih and Rafiatu Folashade Lawal.