Nigerian weightlifters, Edidiong Umoafia and Ruth Nyong, have officially secured their spots at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
The duo punched their tickets to the prestigious event following a series of stellar, podium-topping performances at the African Senior Weightlifting Championships currently taking place in Ismailia.
Umoafia, a bronze medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, delivered a commanding performance in the men’s 71kg category on Thursday to lock in his qualification.
He claimed a gold medal in the snatch event by lifting an impressive 141kg, narrowly edging out Egypt’s Said Mohamed (140kg) and Libya’s Masoud Sameer (131kg).
The Nigerian weightlifter continued his strong run in the clean and jerk event, securing two silver medals with a lift of 170kg.
While Egypt’s Mohamed took the clean and jerk gold with a 180kg lift, Umoafia’s gritty performance allowed him to finish second overall in the category with a combined total of 311kg, comfortably ahead of Libya’s Sameer, who took overall bronze with 286kg.
With his qualification sealed, Umoafia is set to join teammate Ruth Nyong on the grand stage in Glasgow this August.
Nyong set a high standard for the Nigerian contingent earlier in the week on Tuesday, dominating the women’s 48kg category to sweep a phenomenal three gold medals and solidify her status as a top contender for the upcoming Games.
