Nigeria’s Augustina Ikem Nwaokolo yesterday won the first gold of the 19th Commonwealth Games when she lifted a total of 175kg in the women 48kg category. She set a Commonwealth Games record to the bargain.

GOLDEN SMILE . . . Nigeria's gold medal winner Augustina Nkem Nwaokolo smiles at the podium during the women's 48 kg weightlifting event awards ceremony at the Commonwealth Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru sports complex in New Delhi. Photo: AF

Cheered on by Sports Minister and chairman of the National Sports Commission, Ibrahim Isa Bio and other top Nigerian sports officials, Nwaokolo lived up to her promise to do her best and win a medal for Nigeria.

The 18 year_old Nwaokolo who was the youngest competitor, totally dominated the women in the division. She did 77kg the snatch and 98kg in the clean and jerk contest, much to the delight of the watching spectators.  She was rivaled by Soniya Chana and Rani Devi Atom both of India; they lifted 167kg, 165kg respectively to settle for silver and bronze.

“I’m the happiest person in the world, I’m very proud. My next step is the Olympics, to win Gold.
“I expected to win, I trained very hard for it,” said Nwaokolo

Her gold  was Nigeria’s seventh gold medal in a women’s event in Commonwealth Games history and the first in a sport other than Athletics. Nigeria ended India’s winning streak in the Women’s 48kg event. India had won the event in the only two previous occasions it featured on the programme.

“This gold is a sign of good things to come for Nigeria,” said former Athletics Federation of Nigeria vice president, Elias Gora who is also chef‘d mission of the Nigerian delegation.

He said that Nwaokolo brought smiles to faces of the entire Nigerian contingent with her famous win. It was her first visit to the Commonwealth Games.

On Tuesday, Nigeria’s Onyeka Azike will take her turn to mount the stage in search of another weightlifting medal when she competes in the women 53kg.