C’wealth Games: Dollar rains in Team Nigeria camp as Ezuruike wins first silver, bags instant $2,000 reward
Team Nigeria has opened its medal account at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in impressive fashion, with Paralympian Roland Ezuruike claiming the nation’s first medal, a silver in the Men’s Lightweight Group A Para Powerlifting event.
Instant cash rewards flowed into the Nigerian camp under the National Sports Commission’s enhanced athlete welfare and incentive programme.
Ezuruike finished with a total of 153.9 points to secure silver medal. The Nigerian came agonisingly close to winning gold after attempting a Games Record lift of 190kg on his final attempt but narrowly missed, settling for a well-deserved second-place finish.
In line with the National Sports Commission’s performance-based reward policy, Ezuruike was immediately presented with an instant reward of 2,000 for winning silver. The medal also qualifies him for an additional $2,000 performance bonus, bringing his total reward to $4,000, a demonstration of the Commission’s commitment to rewarding excellence and motivating Nigerian athletes to achieve podium finishes.
Team Nigeria also made history in basketball, recording its first-ever victory in 3×3 basketball at the Commonwealth Games with a hard-fought 21-17 win over the Cayman Islands.
Esosa Okundaye and Ikechukwu “Ike” Nwamu led the Nigerian scoring with six points apiece as the team displayed composure and resilience to secure the landmark victory.
Reacting after the game, Nwamu described the victory as the reward for months of quality preparation.
“It was a great match. We fought hard and our preparations paid off as we won Nigeria’s first game in 3×3 basketball at the Commonwealth Games.”
“We are now getting ready for the next two games. Playing for Nigeria means a lot to me, and every opportunity I have to represent my country means everything.”
“We thank the National Sports Commission for allowing us to prepare properly. We trained with the Netherlands national team, who won the gold medal in 3×3 basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and that preparation really helped us.”
Nigeria returns to action later today against Australia before rounding off the group stage against New Zealand as the team continues its quest for a place in the knockout rounds.
There was, however, disappointment in the boxing ring as Ayomide Foly Hassan bowed out in the Round of 32 after a closely contested bout against Refiloe Thai. Hassan believed he had done enough to earn victory and appeared set to be announced as the winner before the judges awarded the contest to his opponent.
Attention now shifts to a busy evening for Team Nigeria, with several medal hopefuls set to compete across para powerlifting and boxing.
In para powerlifting, Esther Oyema and Esther Nworgu will compete in the women’s lightweight events, while reigning world champion Rita Ferdinand and multiple Paralympic and Commonwealth champion Folashade Oluwafemiayo will lead Nigeria’s charge in the women’s heavyweight categories. Rilwan Idris will represent Nigeria in the men’s heavyweight division.
In boxing, Abdulramon Abdulwahab will step into the ring in the men’s 68kg division as Team Nigeria continues its pursuit of more medals at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
