Nigerian man shines with gold at Commonwealth Games

Following the success of Nigeria’s female lifters in the para-powerlifting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Riluwan Idris has shared his resolve to change the story for male athletes.

Idris won gold in the men’s para-powerlifting event at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on Friday night.

The 23-year-old finished ahead of England’s Matthew Harding and Malaysia’s Nicodemus Manggoi Moses, who took home silver and bronze medals respectively.

“This is my first Commonwealth Games. I’ve competed at other international events before, but this is my first time participating here. Before coming, I made a promise to myself that I must become Nigeria’s first male gold medallist because a lot of people have been saying that the men cannot deliver gold medals. I wanted to prove them wrong, and I thank God today that the gold medal is mine.”

Idris won with a successful lift of 208kg on his second attempt, becoming the only lifter in the competition to lift over 200kg. He started with a successful lift of 200kg and finished with 132.8 points to take home his first Commonwealth Games gold medal.

However, he just missed his third attempt at 212kg, which would have matched the Commonwealth Games record, and ended with the gold medal.

Idris is now Nigeria’s first male athlete to win gold at the ongoing Games. He joins record-breaking athletes Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Esther Nworgu on the top podium as Nigeria confirmed its strength in para-powerlifting with three gold and three silver medals.

Nigeria claimed three of the four gold medals available in the para-powerlifting events, improving from the two gold medals it earned at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.