Oluwafemiayo, Ezuruike, Others Set to Win Team Nigeria’s First Medals Today in Glasgow
Duro Ikhazuagbe in Glasgow
Team Nigeria will begin medals chase this morning inside the SEC Armadillo Hall of the Hydro Stadium here in Glasgow, Scotland with six of our para-powerlifters in actions for medals in the first competition day of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Expectedly, two-time Paralympic champion, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, will lead the medals chase when competes in the heavyweight category. Oluwafemiayo set a world record of 155kg in Birmingham four years ago, which she extended to 168kg a year after winning gold at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Speaking ahead of the one-day para powerlifting event yesterday, she admitted that heavy training is key to her success.
“I feel good – there’s no champion forever, but if you keep training, you’ll keep to your standard,” the 41-year-old said.
“I’m very happy to be a role model to others. I want those out there to look at my dream and go after it.”
She is the favourite to win the gold medal and continue her dominance of the event till the next Games in India.
In the Women’s Lightweight category, two other Nigerians Esther Nworgu and Esther Oyema will be in action in the 50kg category. They will face stiff challenge from England’s Olivia Broome, the bronze medallist in the 50kg at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. She is aiming to go one better than the Commonwealth Games silver she won four years ago.
In the men’s lightweight category, Team Nigeria will also have two para powerlifters in action.
Nigeria’s veteran powerlifter Roland Ezuruike will most likely be the obstacles to Bonnie Bunyau Gustin of Malaysia’s successful title defence.
Gustin confirmed last night that he’s very much aware of Ezuruike’s threat today.
“Roland (Ezuruike) is like my older brother,” Gustin said of the Nigerian, 23 years his senior. “In Powerlifting, I look up to him as my idol. We are very close. He has the same spirit, the same sport. So I must be prepared for him.”
Ezuruike is the Rio 2016 Paralympic gold medallist in the 54kg category and won Commonwealth Games gold at Lightweight in 2018.
He’s still lifting big two months after turning 50 – and is certainly not short on confidence.
“I’m getting old now, but I’m a legend in my category,” Ezuruike said. “I still feel good because when you engage yourself in sport, you will look younger than your age. Yeah, I feel good about that.
“It’s going to be a tough one but I will never give up. Anything can happen that day. The platform decides,’ concludes the confident Nigerian star lifter.
In other events, Team Nigeria will also have two boxers in action today in the men’s 70kg Round of 32 with Ayomide Hassan Foly taking on Lesotho’s Refiloe Thai.
In the men’s 65kg, Nigeria’s Abdulrahnan Abdulwahab will try to knockout Uganda’s Nuhu Batte for a place in the next round.
One Nigerian swimmer, Clinton Opute will kick off his quest for Nigeria’s first medal in swimming when he compete in Heat 1 o the preliminary round of the 200m Individual Medley event.
The country’s 3×3 basketball team are also listed for preliminaries of the basketball event, starting this afternoon.
