‘I never lost faith in myself’ – Commonwealth gold medalist, Enekwechi

Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi has described his Commonwealth Games triumph as a reward for years of persistence and belief following his historic victory in the men’s shot put event in Glasgow.

The 33-year-old became the first Nigerian to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the discipline after producing a winning throw of 21.07 metres at Scotstoun Stadium.

 His decisive effort came on his fifth attempt, moving him ahead of New Zealand’s Tom Walsh, who had earlier set the pace with a throw of 21.03 metres.

England’s Scott Lincoln settled for the bronze medal with a mark of 20.99 metres.

Speaking after the competition, Enekwechi expressed gratitude for the achievement and reflected on the challenges he overcame on his way to the title.

He acknowledged that there were moments of doubt during his journey but maintained confidence in his ability to succeed, describing the gold medal as the result of years of dedication and hard work.

The Nigerian star noted that the victory was especially meaningful because it erased the disappointment of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he narrowly missed out on a podium finish after placing fourth.

According to him, “the Glasgow success has boosted his confidence and placed him in a stronger mental position for future competitions”.

Enekwechi had shown signs of his title ambitions during the qualification round, leading Group B with a throw of 20.03 metres. 

He later carried that form into the final, where he outperformed a strong field that included Walsh and other leading contenders.

The gold medal adds another milestone to an impressive career that already includes a silver medal from the 2018 Commonwealth Games and multiple African titles.