Umoafia Commonwealth Games Gold: Nigeria’s Edidiong Joseph Umoafia sets a Games record with a 319kg lift to win men’s 71kg weightlifting gold

Edidiong Joseph Umoafia delivered a record-breaking performance to win Umoafia Commonwealth Games Gold in the men’s 71kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, strengthening Team Nigeria’s impressive medal haul in Glasgow.

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The Nigerian weightlifter dominated the competition from the opening lifts, recording 147kg in the snatch before matching the best lift of 172kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a Games record total of 319kg.

The outstanding display secured Nigeria’s fourth gold medal of the Games and its second medal in weightlifting, further underlining the country’s strength in the sport.

John Lautafi Tafi claimed the silver medal with a combined lift of 314kg, while Ezekiel Moses took bronze after finishing with 310kg.

Umoafia’s victory came a day after Ruth Asuquo Nyong opened Nigeria’s weightlifting campaign with a silver medal in the women’s 48kg event.

Team Nigeria has now amassed eight medals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, comprising four gold and four silver medals, as the delegation continues its strong start to the multi-sport competition.

Umoafia has established himself as one of Nigeria’s leading weightlifters in recent years, winning multiple continental titles and representing the country at major international championships.

His latest triumph adds a Commonwealth Games gold medal and a Games record to an already growing list of achievements.

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The result also reinforces Nigeria’s reputation as one of Africa’s traditional powerhouses in Commonwealth weightlifting, with the nation consistently producing podium finishes across several editions of the Games.