Nigeria records best Commonwealth Games feat with 12 gold medals

Ese Brume’s gold medal in the women’s long jump on Sunday, ensured Nigeria recorded its best performance at the Commonwealth Games with 12 gold medals won.

Brume leaped to a Commonwealth Games record of 7.00m to claim gold in the final after already going to the lead with an earlier jump of 6.99m.

The gold was Brume’s second at the Commonwealth Games after earlier winning as an 18-year-old in Glasgow in 2014.

Earlier in the day, World Champion and World Record holder Tobi Amusan successfully defended her 100m hurdles title, running a games record time of 12.30secs to win gold medal.

Amusan also ran the first leg as the women’s 4x100m team broke the African record to win the gold medal.

The relay quartet had Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha.

The men’s 4x100m team comprising Udodi Onwuzurike, Alaba Akintola, Favour Ashe and Raymond Ekkvwo also won bronze medal on the last day of the competition.

In total, athletics and para-athletics gave Nigeria 10 medals (six gold, one silver and three bronze medals), with Chioma Onyekwere, Goodness Nwachukwu and Eucharia Iyiazi winning gold medals in the women’s discus, women’s discus F42-44/61-64 and women’s F55-57 shot put respectively.

Favour Ofili also won a silver medal in the women’s 200m, while Obiageri Amaechi and Ugochi Alam won bronze medals in the women’s discus and women’s F55-57 shot put respectively.

Wrestling gave Nigeria seven medals in total, with Odunayo Adekuoroye, Blessing Oborodudu, and Genesis Mercy winning gold medals in the women’s 57kg freestyle, 68kg freestyle and 50kg freestyle categories respectively.

Wilson Ebikewemimo and Hannah Reuben also won silver medals in the men’s 57kg freestyle and women’s 76kg freestyle events while Esther Kolawole and John Ogbonna won bronze medals in the women’s 62kg freestyle and men’s 74kg freestyle categories respectively.

Nigeria won six medals (two gold, one silver and three bronze medals) in weightlifting, with the gold medals going to Adijat Olarionoye in the women’s 55kg category and Rafiatu Lawal in the women’s 59kg category while the sole silver medal was won by Taiwo Laidi in the women’s 76kg category. Edidiong Umaofia, Islamiyat Yusuf and Mary Osijo won bronze medals in the men’s 67kg, women’s 64kg and women’s 87kg category respectively.

Powerlifting, Boxing and para table tennis also won four medals each for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games.

In powerlifting, Alice Oluwafemiayo won gold medal in the women’s heavyweight, while Bose Omolayo and Ikechukwu Obichukwu won silver medals in the women’s heavyweight and men’s heavyweight respectively. Innocent Nnamdi also won bronze medal in the men’s lightweight category.

In boxing, Elizabeth Oshoba won silver medal in the women’s over 54kg-57kg featherweight, while Ifeanyi Onyekwere won bronze medal in the men’s over 92kg super weight, same as Jacinta Umunnake and Cynthia Ogunsemilore who also won bronze medals in the women’s 75kg and women’s over 57kg-60kg light weight respectively.

Nigeria’a para table tennis team also carted home two silver and bronze medals through Christiana Ikpeoyi and Nasiru Sule who won silver medals in the women’s singles classes 3-5 and men’s singles classes 3-5 and Isau Ogunkunle and Faith Bazuaye who won bronze medals in the men’s singles classes 3-5 and women’s singles classes 6-10 respectively.

Nigeria went home with a total of 35 medals made up of 12 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze medals.

The nation’s athletes also broke the World Record once and the Games record four times.