Nigeria’s Omolola Onome Didih struck gold on Tuesday at the ongoing Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, India, lifting a combined total of 197kg (90kg snatch + 107kg clean and jerk) in the women’s senior 53kg category.
With the victory, Onome not only clinched gold but also secured automatic qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
India’s Sneha Soren settled for silver with a total lift of 185kg (81kg + 104kg), while the bronze medal went to another Asian competitor.
The triumph comes barely 24 hours after Nigeria’s Ruth Nyong Asuquo opened the medal chart with bronze in the junior women’s 48kg category, signalling what officials believe will be a rewarding outing for Team Nigeria.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, described Onome’s feat as the beginning of a “harvest of medals” for the country.
“This championship is a Commonwealth Games qualifier, which makes it important to excel in order to earn the right to participate at Glasgow 2026.
That’s why we ensured a dedicated budget line for preparations, as approved by Mr. President,” Dikko said. “Weightlifting has always been Nigeria’s sport of comparative advantage, and we expect more gold medals, starting with Onome.”
Similarly, NSC Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade praised the lifters’ consistency, noting their dominance at the African Championships in Mauritius earlier this year.
“I was with this team when they emerged African champions, and I can vouch for them. This is a generation of podium performers, and the Commonwealth Championship is another platform to showcase their quality,” Olopade said.
The 30th edition of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships has attracted over 300 lifters from 31 nations, with winners in each senior category earning automatic tickets to the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Onome’s golden lift now positions Nigeria as an early medal favourite in India, with officials confident that more podium finishes will follow in the coming days.
