Joseph Edidiong, Ruth Imoleavo Ayodele top Nigeria’s medal haul at Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in India

By Mishael Emmanuel with additional reports by Olusola Adebayo

Nigeria’s impressive outing at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, India, continued on Wednesday as Joseph Edidiong Umoafia and Ruth Imoleavo Ayodele delivered podium finishes to extend the country’s medal count.

African Games champion Joseph Edidiong Umoafia clinched silver in the men’s 71kg division, lifting a combined total of 316kg (146kg snatch + 170kg clean and jerk).

He narrowly missed out on gold by just one kilogram to India’s Ajith Narayana, who finished with 317kg to secure the title and book qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Nauru’s Ezekiel Moses took bronze with 290kg (135kg + 155kg).

In the women’s 63kg category, Ruth Imoleavo Ayodele claimed bronze with a total of 212kg (95kg + 117kg). The event was won by Canada’s Olympic champion Maude Charron, who lifted 230kg to secure gold, while India’s Nirupama Devi earned silver with 217kg.

The medals for Umoafia and Ayodele add to Nigeria’s strong showing at the championships. On Monday, Ruth Asuquo opened the country’s campaign with a silver medal, before Omolola Onome upgraded Nigeria’s medal colour to gold on Tuesday.

With Wednesday’s results, Nigeria now boasts four medals – 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze – at the ongoing competition.

The 30th edition of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships features over 300 lifters from 31 nations, with winners in each senior category automatically qualifying for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

With several Nigerian lifters still in action across various divisions, hopes remain high for more podium finishes as the championship continues.