Chika Amalaha on Friday won gold for Nigeria in the women’s 53kg weightlifting category at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. African champion Amalaha snatched a best of 85kg to set a new Games record before managing 111kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 196kg to win Nigeria’s second medal after Nkechi Opara won bronze in the 48kg on Thursday. Papua New Guinea’s Dika Toua took silver at the Clyde Auditorium with 193kg (82+111), with India’s Santoshi Matsa claiming bronze with 188kg (83+105).
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Amalaha was delighted with her win, and spoke to the press afterwards on her elation at claiming the GOLD: “I’m absolutely delighted,” said Amalaha. “I wasn’t coming here to go for gold; I just wanted to break my own record. I’m so happy that I’m going home with gold in my first Commonwealth Games. I started at the age of 12, but my family were strongly against me doing the sport at first. They kept me telling to stop doing it, but I persuaded them by getting a female coach. From then on, it was hard work, training, a lot of pain and dedication that got me here today. And now my family were in the audience and they are so excited and so proud.”
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
