Commonwealth Games: Team Nigeria climbs to 8th in medals table

Team Nigeria has jumped top eighth in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after picking up three gold medals yesterday via wrestlers Aminat Adeniyi and Odunayo Adekuoroye and weightlifter Maryan Usman.

On course to make the Glasgow games Nigeria's best ever Commonwealth outing, the team has six gold, five silver and eight bronze medals with three days of competition still left. At the last Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, in India in 2010, Nigeria won 11 gold, 10 silver and 14 bronze medals, coming ninth overall and the current team hopes to beat this.

At the Clyde Auditorium, Maryan Usman clinched gold in the women's 280kg category, lifting 125kg in the snatch and 155kg in the clean and jerk. This was topped up with Aminat Adeniyi winning gold in the women's 58kg freestyle wrestling by beating her Indian opponent Sakshi Malik and Odunayo Adekuoroye clinching top spot in the women's 53kg women's wrestling after beating Lalita Lalita of India.

Nigeria also picked up two bronze medals in wrestling. Amas Daniel beat England's Sasha Madyarchyk in the men's 61kg freestyle competition, while Hannah Reuben beat South Africa's Refilwe Molongwana in the women's 69kg freestyle wrestling.

Yesterday, Team Nigeria remains on course to pick up more medals, especially in the women's 200 metres where Blessing Okagbare will be featuring in the semi finals and finals. Yesterday, she breezed through the first round in a time of 22.99 seconds and remains the favourite to clinch the gold medal in addition to her 100 metres victory.