Zakari wins dramatic, chaotic women’s 75kg title

Hadiza Zakari gave Nigeria their third weightlifting gold of the Commonwealth Games on Saturday when she crushed the opposition in a dramatic and chaotic women’s 75kg showdown.

Zakari lifted a Games record total of 239kg, 14 kilos ahead of Canada’s Marie-Eve Beauchemin-Nadeau with India’s Monika Devi, returning from a two-year suspension, claiming bronze on 216kg.

Zakari became the third Nigerian woman to win a weightlifting gold in Delhi after 17-year-old Augustina Nwaokolo claimed the 48kg title and Obioma Okoli grabbed the 63kg crown.

But the session was overshadowed by a worrying collapse on the stage by Cameroon’s Madias Nzesso Ngake after she had successfully lifted 121kg in the clean and jerk.

The 18-year-old had to be stretchered off to the medical room for treatment.

There was also a chaotic conclusion when the giant electronic scoreboard malfunctioned for the second time this week causing a delay before the final could be concluded.

Zakari managed to set seven new records in her two rounds of lifts on Saturday.

“I had it in my mind that I was going to break the records in these Games,” she said.

“My next goal is the Olympic Games. There I am going to do some more records and bring fame to my country.

When I saw the competition, I wasn’t scared. I knew I had worked hard for this.”