By Dorcas Francis Koji
Nigeria’s Riluwan Idris has etched his name into the country’s sporting history after becoming the first Nigerian male athlete to win a gold medal at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 23-year-old para-powerlifter delivered a commanding performance on Friday night to clinch the men’s para-powerlifting title, ending years of dominance by Nigeria’s female lifters and silencing critics who doubted the men’s ability to reach the top of the podium.
Idris outclassed a strong field to finish ahead of Matthew Harding of England, who claimed the silver medal, while Nicodemus Manggoi Moses of Malaysia settled for bronze.
Speaking after his historic triumph, Idris revealed that he arrived in Glasgow determined to become Nigeria’s first male gold medallist at the Games.
“This is my first Commonwealth Games. I’ve competed at other international competitions, but this is my first time here. Before coming, I made a promise to myself that I must become Nigeria’s first male gold medallist because many people kept saying the men could not win gold. I wanted to prove them wrong, and I thank God that I have achieved it,” he said.
The Nigerian lifter opened the competition with a successful 200kg lift before raising the bar to 208kg on his second attempt, a lift that ultimately secured him the gold medal.
His total of 132.8 points made him the only athlete in the event to successfully lift more than 200kg, underlining his dominance throughout the competition.
Idris attempted 212kg on his final lift in a bid to equal the Commonwealth Games record, but narrowly missed the mark. Despite the unsuccessful final attempt, his earlier efforts were enough to secure his maiden Commonwealth Games gold medal.
The victory also strengthened Nigeria’s impressive showing in para-powerlifting, with the country continuing its dominance in one of its strongest sports at the Games.
Idris joined Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Esther Nworgu on the list of Nigerian gold medallists, helping Team Nigeria finish the para-powerlifting programme with an outstanding haul of three gold and three silver medals.
The achievement represents an improvement on Nigeria’s performance at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, where the country won two gold medals in para-powerlifting.
His breakthrough victory has been hailed as a major milestone for Nigerian para-sports and a source of inspiration for aspiring male para-athletes across the country.
As the Commonwealth Games continue in Glasgow, Idris’ success has further boosted Team Nigeria’s medal ambitions while reinforcing the nation’s reputation as one of the world’s leading forces in para-powerlifting.
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