Nigerian gold medalist in men’s weightlifting at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, Edidiong Joseph Umoafia has opened up on the factors that accounted for his historic achhievemnt, which came four years after he snatched a bronze medal.
Sports247 reports that Umoafia made history on Monday, when he emerged victorious in the men’s 71kg weightlifting event in Glasgow, thereby improving on his third place finish at Birmingham 2022, and the vibrant athlete is already thinking about how to spend his gold medal prize money.
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Umoafia disclosed that his victory on Monday came through dint of hard work, sheer determination and the zeal to do better with each passing competition, as he trained harder after winning bronze in Birmingham and took special drills regularly to ensure he got better ahead of Glasgow 2026.
He also acknowledged that the promise of huge dollars as reward for Nigeria’s medalists at this year’s Commonwealth Games also spurred him to achieve the best effort of his career, especially with $10,000 up for grabs to any member of the contingent who wins a gold medal at the current competition.
However, rather than think of going on a spending spree or buy choice luxury things, Umoafia disclosed that he wants to get more training equipment and a car, for him to move around easily when he returns to Nigeria, adding that he will also invest in his career, to build on his success.
Umoafia added: “It was not easy for me, but I had to try my hardest after the last Commonwealth Games. After I won bronze in Birmingham, I went back and trained hard … every day, every chance, every minute. I tried to use my time well. I used all my thinking for this moment, for this day.”
Sports247 reports further that a new winning bonus package announced by the National Sports Commission (NSC) has already seen each of the country’s six gold medallists so far get $10,000 – made up of an instant $5,000 cash reward and another $5,000 paid directly into the athlete’s bank account.
