Didih eyes gold as Team Nigeria enters final countdown

With just seven days to the start of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Commonwealth weightlifting champion Onome Omolola Didih has expressed confidence in Team Nigeria’s readiness to challenge for medals, citing the quality of preparations put in place by the National Sports Commission (NSC).

Accordinh to the NSC media, Didih, one of Nigeria’s brightest medal prospects, said the conducive camping environment in both Nigeria and Aberdeen, Scotland, has given the athletes the ideal platform to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the Games.

“I am living my dreams representing Nigeria, and I am grateful for the opportunity. The National Sports Commission has helped us prepare adequately, while the Weightlifting Federation has continued to encourage and support us throughout this journey,” she said.

According to the African record holder, the facilities and atmosphere at the team’s training camps have enabled the athletes to remain focused on achieving success in Glasgow.

“Our camping, both in Nigeria and here in Aberdeen, has been top-notch. The environment has been serene and has allowed us to remain focused on our training. The training facilities have everything we need, and we are grateful to the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, for their support,” Didih added.

The Nigerian weightlifter heads into the Commonwealth Games in impressive form. She won three gold medals in the women’s 53kg event at the 2025 African Weightlifting Championships in Mauritius after lifting a combined 203kg to emerge Africa’s top-ranked lifter in her category.

She followed that feat by retaining her continental title at the 2026 African Senior Weightlifting Championships in Egypt, where she once again completed a clean sweep of the three gold medals with a total lift of 192kg.

Didih also captured gold at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Ahmedabad, India, last year, while finishing fourth at the 2024 World Weightlifting Championships, underlining her credentials as one of Nigeria’s leading medal hopes for Glasgow.

The lifter called on Nigerians to continue supporting Team Nigeria throughout the Games.

“We urge Nigerians to keep praying for us and cheering us on as we compete for the country. We will do all we can to make them proud and with their support, nothing is impossible,” she said.

Team Nigeria is currently in Aberdeen putting the finishing touches to its preparations ahead of the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games on July 23, with athletes aiming to maintain the country’s proud record of success at the multi-sport event.