By John Essien
Nigeria’s Rafiatu Lawal’s has admitted her Commonwealth record was unexpected on the way to winning Nigeria’s second gold in Birmingham.
Lawal, who came into the competition as favourite clinched a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women’s 59kg weightlifting.
The 25-year-old triumphed with a new Games record of 206kg from her snatch and clean and jerk lifts on Sunday.
“I’m really happy because I didn’t even know I broke the record. I was only focussed on winning the gold medal,” Lawal told BBC Sport.
“Hearing the fans [Nigerians in the crowd] really helped. Although it’s not the first time I will be facing a huge crowd, but the support really calmed my nerves.”
“This Commonwealth gold means a lot to me, and I’m really excited about it because I didn’t expect it, but God did it for me.”
Lawal has already conquered the continent by picking 59kg gold at the 2019 African Games and the 2021 African Weightlifting Championships.
Lawal’s success in Birmingham is a positive for Africa’s most populous nation.
On the flip side, Nigeria’s powerlifting journey at the Commonwealth Games has often been cut short by doping violations.
Recall that Nigerian Weightlifting Federation was suspended for repeated doping violations by the International Weightlifting Federation in 2001 and banned from competing in the following year’s Manchester Games.
In 2014, 16-year-old weightlifter Chika Amalaha was stripped of her gold medal after failing a drugs test.
Like Amalaha, who is suspended until 2027, weightlifters Blessed Udoh, Elizabeth Onuah and Balikis Otunla were also handed long-term bans for doping offences.
