Esther Nworgu won Team Nigeria’s first gold medal of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on Friday, setting a new Games record twice in the women’s para powerlifting lightweight category before completing the title with a winning lift of 123kg for 119 points.
Nworgu, aged 24, opened the competition by setting a Games record of 114.1 points with a successful first-attempt lift of 118kg, a mark that put her in the lead after the opening round.
Less than 10 minutes later, she improved on her own record, lifting 123kg to score 119 points and secure the gold medal outright. Related News Commonwealth Games: Captain Oluwafemiayo smashes world record as Nigeria dominates opening day Opute, Hassan suffer early exits in swimming, boxing Nigeria make history with 3×3 basketball victory
According to the NSC, in line with the National Sports Commission’s enhanced athlete welfare and reward policy, Nworgu received an instant cash reward of $5,000 at the competition venue, in addition to a further $5,000 paid directly into her account, bringing her total reward for the gold medal to $10,000.
Nworgu’s triumph gave Team Nigeria a perfect start to its para powerlifting campaign in Glasgow and set the tone for further success from the squad on the opening day of competition.
