Chukwuebuka Enekwechi said he never stopped believing in himself, after becoming the first Nigerian to win the men’s shot put gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 33-year-old delivered a championship-winning throw of 21.07m on his penultimate attempt at Scotstoun Stadium to seal the historic title, dethroning defending champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand, who had led the competition with an opening throw of 21.03m but could not respond after the Nigerian surged ahead.

England’s Scott Lincoln claimed bronze with 20.99m.

Reacting after the landmark achievement, the African record holder thanked God and reflected on the difficult journey that led to his breakthrough.

“First of all, I thank God for this victory. I have worked extremely hard for this moment, and there were times when I even doubted myself, but I never stopped believing,” Enekwechi said.

The triumph was particularly satisfying after Enekwechi narrowly missed the podium at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he finished fourth. He said that disappointment provided extra motivation to return stronger for Glasgow.

“This victory means so much because it wipes away the disappointment of Birmingham. It puts me in a very good place mentally and gives me confidence for what is ahead,” he added.

Enekwechi had signalled his title ambitions on Wednesday when he topped Group B in qualifying with a throw of 20.03m, ahead of India’s Samardeep Singh Gill, New Zealand’s Nick Palmer and South Africa’s Aiden Smith, while Walsh led the overall standings from Group A with 21.03m to set up the showdown in the final.

The gold represents a significant improvement on the silver Enekwechi won at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and further cements his standing as one of Africa’s leading field athletes, adding to five African titles already in his collection.

With the Commonwealth title secured, Enekwechi said his focus will now shift to preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where he hopes to build on his latest success and challenge for an Olympic medal.