Esther Oyema and Roland Ezuruike both won silver medals in para powerlifting as Team Nigeria kicked off the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with great success, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Oyema, who is 44 years old, finished second to her fellow Nigerian Esther Nworgu in the women’s lightweight category. She tried to break Nworgu’s Games record by lifting 125kg but just missed it on her first attempt.
On her second attempt, she successfully lifted 125kg, earning silver with a total of 115.5 points. This secured a one-two finish for Nigeria in this event. England’s Olivia Broome took home the bronze medal with a lift of 119kg and 106.6 points.
Earlier on Friday, Ezuruike brought home Nigeria’s first medal of the Games. He won silver in the Men’s Lightweight Group A category with a total of 153.9 points.
The Paralympian almost snagged gold. He aimed for a Games record lift of 190kg on his final attempt but just missed it, finishing in second place.
Both athletes received rewards due to the National Sports Commission’s new performance-based incentive policy.
The NSC stated that Oyema got an immediate cash reward of $2,000 right at the venue. Additionally, she was given another $3,000 directly into her account, making it a total of $5,000. Ezuruike also received an instant reward of $2,000, plus an extra performance bonus of $2,000, totaling $4,000 for him.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to reward Team Nigeria’s athletes is already showing results as the country’s campaign began on a high note.
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