Chukwuebuka Enekwechi on Thursday became the first Nigerian to win the men’s shot put gold medal at the Commonwealth Games after producing a championship-winning throw of 21.07m in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Olympic Games confirmed the win on its X handle saying, “GOLD for Nigeria – Chukwuebuka Enekwechi takes the W in the men’s shot put final!.”
The 33-year-old delivered the decisive throw on his penultimate attempt at Scotstoun Stadium to claim Nigeria’s first-ever gold in the event.
The victory marked a significant improvement on the silver medal he won at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and erased the disappointment of his fourth-place finish at the Birmingham 2022 edition.
Enekwechi dethroned defending champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand, who had led the competition with an opening throw of 21.03m but could not respond after the Nigerian surged ahead.
England’s Scott Lincoln claimed the bronze medal with a throw of 20.99m.
The African record holder had signalled his title ambitions on Wednesday when he secured automatic qualification for the final with a single throw of 20.03m, topping Group B ahead of India’s Samardeep Singh Gill, New Zealand’s Nick Palmer and South Africa’s Aiden Smith.
Walsh had led the overall qualifying standings with a throw of 21.03m in Group A, setting up the much-anticipated showdown with Enekwechi in the final.
One of Nigeria’s most consistent track and field athletes over the past decade, Enekwechi also boasts five African titles.
His victory increased Nigeria’s medal haul at the 2026 Commonwealth Games to 15, comprising eight gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.
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