Nigeria’s Ruth Asuquo Nyong opened the country’s medal account at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, India, after clinching silver in the women’s 48kg category on Monday, Sports247 reports.
Nyong lifted a combined total of 167kg (72kg snatch + 95kg clean and jerk) to secure third place.
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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 193kg (84kg snatch + 109kg 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 177kg (76kg snatch + 101kg 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 87kg and her last clean and jerk attempt of 113kg but still proved too strong for the field.
Her return to the 48kg division comes after the International Weightlifting Federation discontinued the 49kg class, where she had set personal bests of 88kg in snatch, 119kg in clean and jerk, and 205kg in total.
Elsewhere, India’s Dharmajyoti Dewgharia lifted 224kg (97kg snatch + 127kg clean and jerk) to win gold in the men’s 56kg youth division, setting youth Commonwealth records.
Payal also impressed in the youth women’s 48kg with a 166kg total (73kg + 93kg), while Preetismita Bhoi triumphed in the youth 44kg with 150kg (63kg + 87kg).
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.
