Team Nigeria has maintained a modest position on medal table as the Commonwealth Games rounded off e events of Day 4, Monday.
Nigeria is in fourth place behind Australia, England and Canada in first, second and third positions respectively.
Team Nigeria ended the day with 6 gold and 4 silver medals.
Rafiatu Folashade Lawal helped give Nigeria’s weightlifting community a day they will never forget after she produced a dominant performance to win her nation’s third gold medal from three events at the SEC Armadillo on Monday.
Earlier in the day, her compatriots Edidiong Joseph Umoafia and Onome Omolola Didih won gold in the Men’s 71kg and Women’s 53kg, respectively.
Malaysia’s Erry Hidayat Muhammad stopped it being a Nigerian clean sweep when he topped the podium in the Men’s 79kg.
Muhammad left it late, needing to lift 184kg with his final effort of the session to push India’s Valluri Ajaya Babu into silver position.
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Birmingham 2022 gold medallist Chris Murray, of England, secured bronze with his final lift of the night.
Lawal, a 2025 world championship silver medallist, led the Women’s 58kg by nine kilograms, thanks to a Commonwealth record and Games record of 103kg in the snatch. She then bided her time before she began the clean and jerk.
While Lawal was waiting, Canada’s Ann Sophie Taschereau and India’s Bindyarani Devi Sorokhaibam claimed the top two positions. In the end they were forced to settle for silver and bronze as Lawal increased her advantage with a Games record lift of 126kg that sent the crowd wild.
“I’m proud of myself and proud of my hard work,” Lawal said. “The conditions went well for me today and the crowd was so amazing. To see a crowd shouting for Nigeria motivated me.
“This is the best. Since I’ve been competing, I’ve never had six complete attempts, but today I had six complete attempts without any scares and I’m happy with that.”
