Enekwechi, Onwuzurike build Games momentum with podium finishes

Nigerian athletes Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and Udodi Onwuzurike have bolstered Nigeria's momentum heading into the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with strong performances at the Gyulai István Memorial – Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix in Budapest.

Enekwechi, the African record holder in shot put, secured a third-place finish with a best effort of 21.48 meters. He was surpassed by Italy's Leonardo Fabbri, who won with 22.04 meters, and Jamaica's Rajindra Campbell, who took second with 21.52 meters.

Sprint star Onwuzurike also claimed a podium spot, finishing third in the men's 200m with a time of 20.18 seconds, matching his season's best. The race was won by Zimbabwe's Makanakaishe Charamba in 20.09 seconds, followed by Morocco's Yassine Hssine in a national record of 19.92 seconds.

These results provide significant confidence for Team Nigeria as they finalize preparations for the Commonwealth Games. Other notable performances at the event included Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme winning the men's 100m in 9.99 seconds and Zambia's Muzala Samukonga winning the men's 400m in a season's best of 44.02 seconds. The strong showings from athletes across the continent suggest a highly competitive race for medals in Glasgow.