*As Team Nigeria better Melbourne performance

By Ben Efe, New Delhi

Nigeria’s gold medals haul here at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, increased by two yesterday when weightlifter, Hadiza Zakari clinched the women 75kg gold. She also broke the Commonwealth Games record after scoring a total of 239 points in the clean and jerk.

Veteran wrestler Sinivie Boltic also bagged gold, when he was awarded the 96kg free style wrestling, bout against Canada’s Jarvey Korey.

With 7 gold, 5 silver and 9 bronze medals, Team Nigeria have bettered their Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games total medal haul by four as Nigeria stands currently at 6th position as at press time yesterday with 21 medals as against 17 won four years ago.

Team Nigeria female athletes still lead the pack with 5 gold, 4 silver and 6 bronze medals while their male counterparts follow with 2 gold, one silver and 3 bronze medals to put Nigeria the second best African team behind South Africa who follow Canada, India, England and leaders, Australia.

It was a very tight fight between Boltic and the Canadian as both wrestlers tied on 2-2 points at the end of the bout. It was left for the referee to decide who had the most attack and Boltic was judged to have made the most aggressive moves. It was the second wrestling gold for Nigeria after Joe Agbonavbare won Nigeria’s first wrestling gold on Wednesday. The last time Nigeria won a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games was 1994 when Isaac Jacob won gold at the Victoria’94 Games in Canada.

However, the evening belonged to Zakari who fought off stiff opposition from Canada’s Marie Eve Beauchemin-Nadeau. Zakari a member of the Nigeria Civil Defense Corps broke the Games record five times on her way to clinching the gold.

“First of all I must thank God for giving me the strength. I’m happy with my achievement and I’m looking forward to greater things.

“I was not surprised with my efforts. I worked very hard and my mind was dead set on winning the gold,” said Zakari.

Nigeria won the first medal of the 2010 Commonwealth Games on last Monday, when Augustina Nwakolo stunned the hosts to take the 48kg women weightlifting gold. Damola Osayomi and Christiana Nwoye are the other gold medal winners so far.