Athletics

Glasgow 2026: “Had to Redeem Myself” — Chukwuebuka Enekwechi Opens Up After Finally Winning Commonwealth Gold for Nigeria

Published

44 minutes ago

July 31, 2026

Elliot Michael

For Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Thursday night’s triumph was about far more than a winning throw. It was about redemption.

It was about finally putting behind the heartbreak of Birmingham four years ago.

And it was about fulfilling a dream he has carried since his Commonwealth Games debut eight years ago.

The Nigerian shot put star delivered Team Nigeria’s eighth gold medal at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, producing a winning throw of 21.07m to edge New Zealand’s Tom Walsh (21.03m) in one of the closest finals of the athletics programme.

England’s Scott Lincoln completed the podium with 20.99m.

Despite standing on top of the podium, Enekwechi admitted it was far from his best performance.

“Physically and mentally, but I’m glad it went my way,” he said after the competition.

Asked what clicked during the final, the Nigerian surprisingly revealed that very little actually did.

“Nothing. Nothing worked in my favour. If you watched the competition, I struggled and I was pretty pensive the entire time.”

Rather than feeling dominant, the African record holder said he simply relied on years of preparation and determination.

“But we try hard, we train for this competition, so maybe on a different day it would have been a worse result. I think because we’ve circled this on the calendar for the past four years.”

His victory was made even sweeter because of the painful memories he carried into Glasgow.

At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Enekwechi competed with both adductor muscles torn, battling through injury before finishing fourth and narrowly missing out on a medal.

That disappointment stayed with him throughout the last Olympic cycle.

“Last time I had some torn adductors—literally both adductors were torn. I got fourth, didn’t steal a medal. So I had to kind of redeem myself, and I’m glad I did today.”

The gold medal also completes a journey that began at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, where Enekwechi announced himself with a silver medal.

He admitted upgrading that silver had become an obsession.

“It’s going to be amazing. I’ve dreamt about it since Gold Coast 2018. I got a silver in my debut Commonwealth Games, and I wanted to upgrade it.”

Instead of waiting the usual four years, delays meant he had to wait twice as long to achieve that dream.

“Again, I had to wait eight years instead of four. So I’m glad it’s finally coming true.”

The victory crowns years of consistency for one of Nigeria’s greatest field athletes.

Enekwechi has represented the country at multiple Olympic Games and World Championships, broken barriers by becoming the first Nigerian to throw beyond 22 metres, and established himself among the world’s elite shot putters.

Now, he finally has the Commonwealth title to match his remarkable résumé.

His success also lifts Team Nigeria’s medal tally to 15 medals—8 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze—as the country’s outstanding campaign in Glasgow continues.

For Enekwechi, however, the statistics matter less than the journey.

After years of setbacks, injuries and unfinished business, the Nigerian giant finally stood where he always believed he belonged—at the top of the Commonwealth podium.

The post Glasgow 2026: “Had to Redeem Myself” — Chukwuebuka Enekwechi Opens Up After Finally Winning Commonwealth Gold for Nigeria appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

Athletics

Commonwealth Games 2026: Chemutai bags 3000m Steeplechase bronze

Published

1 day ago

July 30, 2026

Kenny Malone

Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai claimed bronze in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Chemutai finished third with a time of 9:09.45 to settle for bronze, Uganda’s third medal at the championship.

Kenyan Faith Cherotich won the race with the Games record of 9:01.76 ahead of England’s Elise Thorner (9:05.45).

It was a personal best for Thorner, who outpaced Chemutai with a powerful kick after the bell.

The event had 10 runners, with Switzerland’s Grace Fetherstonhaugh also clocking a personal best time of 9:27.49.

Uganda’s 3×3 women’s basketball team earned silver and para-swimmer Husnah Kukundawe took bronze as well.

The post Commonwealth Games 2026: Chemutai bags 3000m Steeplechase bronze appeared first on Kawowo Sports.

Athletics

Glasgow 2026: Chukwuma, Ogundiran, Ezechukwu Face Stern Test in Women’s 100m Semi-finals

Published

3 days ago

July 28, 2026

Kenny Malone

Nigeria’s trio of Rosemary Chukwuma, Blessing Ogundiran and Miracle Ezechukwu will battle for places in the women’s 100m final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after learning their semi-final opponents in Glasgow on Tuesday.

With only the automatic qualifiers and fastest losers expected to progress to the medal race, all three Nigerians will need near season-best performances to keep Nigeria’s hopes alive.

Chukwuma Leads Nigeria’s Strongest Medal Hope

Rosemary Chukwuma has been drawn in Semi-final 1 and appears to have Nigeria’s best chance of reaching the final.

The Nigerian, who owns a personal best of 10.88 seconds and a season’s best of 10.95 seconds, is the second-fastest athlete in her race based on personal bests.

She will line up against Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye (10.82 PB), Australia’s Torrie Lewis (11.04), Canada’s Audrey Leduc (10.94), Jamaica’s Jodean Williams (10.97), Gambia’s Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye (10.93), England’s Mabel Akande (11.18) and Antigua and Barbuda’s G. Dowdye (11.34).

If Chukwuma produces a clean start and runs close to her personal best, she is well placed to secure one of the automatic qualifying spots or advance as a fastest loser.

Ogundiran Faces Tough Battle in Semi-final 2

Newly crowned Nigerian champion Blessing Ogundiran has been handed a difficult assignment in Semi-final 2.

The 10.98-second sprinter will race against Canada’s Sade McCreath (10.86 PB), Trinidad and Tobago’s Leah Bertrand (10.92), England’s Imani Lansiquot (10.99), British Virgin Islands’ Beyoncé Defreitas (11.14), Australia’s Ella Lane (11.29), Barbados’ Kishawna Niles (11.33) and Gabon’s P.L. Moulin (11.35).

Ogundiran’s personal best puts her among the leading contenders in the field, but she will need another sub-11-second performance to guarantee a place in the final.

Ezechukwu Out to Continue Dream Debut

After an impressive victory in her opening-round heat, Miracle Ezechukwu faces an even sterner challenge in Semi-final 3.

The youngster, who clocked 11.32 seconds to win her heat despite running from lane eight, owns a personal and season’s best of 11.15 seconds.

She will face Jamaica’s J. Smith (10.89 PB), New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs (10.94), England’s Amy Hunt (10.97), Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira (11.20), Canada’s G. Cole (11.17), Australia’s G. Harris (11.38) and Zambia’s Edna Ng’andula (11.48).

While the race features several established international sprinters, Ezechukwu has already shown she can rise to the occasion. Another personal-best performance could put her in contention for a place in the final.

Nigeria’s Chances

Among the Nigerian trio, Rosemary Chukwuma appears to have the strongest opportunity to reach the final based on experience and personal best.

Blessing Ogundiran also has a realistic chance if she reproduces the form that saw her claim the Nigerian title, while Miracle Ezechukwu enters as the outsider but carries momentum after her confidence-boosting heat victory.

Should all three Nigerians produce their best performances, Nigeria could realistically have two, and possibly even all three, athletes lining up in the women’s 100m final later on Tuesday.

The post Glasgow 2026: Chukwuma, Ogundiran, Ezechukwu Face Stern Test in Women’s 100m Semi-finals appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

Athletics

Commonwealth Games 2026: Kanyinsola Ajayi Faces Omanyala, Saminu in Blockbuster Men’s 100m Semi-final

Published

3 days ago

July 28, 2026

Elliot Michael

Nigeria’s sprint sensation Kanyinsola Ajayi will face one of the toughest tests of his Commonwealth Games campaign after being drawn in a star-studded Men’s 100m Semi-final 2 at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The Nigerian record holder is set to line up against an elite field that includes Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya,

Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Wales’ Jeremiah Azu, South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana, England’s Elliot Jones, Trinidad and Tobago’s Omari Lewis, and Australia’s Rohan Browning.

Ajayi, who owns a personal best of 9.84 seconds, will be aiming to secure one of the automatic qualification spots or advance as one of the fastest losers into the final in what promises to be the most competitive of the three semi-finals.

Nigeria will have three representatives in the men’s 100m semi-finals, with Favour Ashe, Kanyinsola Ajayi, and Alaba Nathan Fakorede all chasing places in the final.

With Ajayi drawn alongside some of the continent’s biggest sprint stars, all eyes will be on Semi-final 2 as the race for Commonwealth Games medals intensifies.

Men’s 100m Semi-final Draw

Semi-final 1

Mark Otieno Babu (Kenya)

Rohan Watson (Jamaica)

Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon)

Benjamin Azamati (Ghana)

Lachlan Kennedy (Australia)

Favour Ashe (Nigeria)

Clarence Johnson (South Africa)

Duan Asemota (Canada)

Semi-final 2 (7:10 pm Nigerian time)

Elliot Jones (England)