Riluwan Idris, a 23-year-old powerlifter born in Kano, Nigeria, has etched his name into the history books at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first-ever Nigerian male athlete to win a gold medal in Para-Powerlifting.
Competing in the Men’s Heavyweight event at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow, the 23-year-old debutant put on a commanding performance, lifting 200kg on his first attempt and pushing to 208kg on his second. He finished with 132.8 points under the coefficient scoring system to claim the top podium spot ahead of England’s Matthew Harding (131.0 pts) and Malaysia’s Nicodemus Manggoi Moses (120.3 pts).
The victory smashed long-held perceptions about Nigerian men in the sport, which had historically seen gold medals dominated by female lifters.
Idris entered the competition as a dark horse, omitted from initial gold medal projections by sports officials. However, National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko offered a $10,000 bonus challenge to Idris prior to the event if he snatched the title.
With his historic win, Idris secured both the $10,000 challenge prize and the NSC’s standard $5,000 instant gold reward, taking home a total payout of $15,000.
His historic performance helped Team Nigeria sweep three gold and three silver medals on opening day, solidifying the nation’s reputation as a global powerhouse in para-powerlifting.
Following his victory, Idris said he was determined to prove that Nigerian men could also rise to the occasion and win gold for the nation. His achievement has been widely praised by sports officials and fans, who described it as a proud moment for Nigerian sports.
The gold medal is expected to boost Team Nigeria’s confidence as the Commonwealth Games continue, with more athletes aiming to add to the country’s medal tally in the coming days.
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