Amalaha lands Nigeria’s first gold at the Commonwealth Games

Nigeria’s medal’s prospects brightened yesterday, with Chika Amalaha winning Nigeria’s first gold in the women 53kg weightlifting event.

•Golden lift… Amahala lifts for gold in Glassgow Friday. Photos: AFP
The 16 year0old heaved a combined weight of 196kg to clinch the gold in the keenly contested event. Amalaha defeated Paupa New Guinea’s Dika Toua with just three points, while India’s Santoshi Masta won bronze with 188kg. The event continues today with the men taking their turn to dig for gold.
Nigeria’s Nkechi Opara had won bronze on the opening day of the weightlifting event in the 48kg category.
However, the joy of winning gold was subdued as the country’s athletes were still expecting their kits. Amalaha competed in ‘mufti’ and this remained a subject of discussion in the camp of the Nigerian delegation.

-vanguard

India got one more medal in women's 53kg weightlifting after Swati Singh was handed the bronze while Matsha Santoshi was upgraded to silver after 16-year-old Nigerian gold winner Chika Amalaha tested positive for a banned substance in the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday.

Santoshi had finished third and Swati fourth in the women's 53kg weightlifting competition held on July 25. They will now get a silver and bronze, respectively.

"We have got official intimation from the Glasgow 2014 organisers that Santoshi's bronze will be upgraded to silver, while 4th placed Swati will get the bronze," Indian Weightlifting Federation vice-president Sahdev Yadav said on Wednesday.

"Now we will get 12 medals (three gold, four silver, five bronze) from weightlifting in the Games, two medals more than in 2010 Delhi. It is a huge achievement for us," he added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tournaments/commonwealth-games-2014/india-at-glasgow/India-win-one-more-medal-after-Nigerian-lifter-fails-dope-test/articleshow/39296401.cms