Nigerian judoka Enku Ekuta ended a 24-year wait for a Commonwealth Games medal in the sport after claiming bronze in the women’s 63kg event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Ekuta secured her place on the podium with a victory over Zambia’s Rita Kabinda in the bronze medal contest, completing an impressive run that included earlier wins against New Zealand’s Qona Christie and Solomon Islands’ Georgina George.
The result makes Ekuta the first Nigerian judoka to win a Commonwealth Games medal since Alice Livinus claimed bronze in the women’s 48kg category at the 2002 Games in Manchester. It also marks a significant milestone for Nigerian judo, which had gone more than two decades without a medal at the competition.
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Ekuta arrived in Glasgow after earning qualification through the Nigeria Judo Federation’s Commonwealth Games trials in Abuja. She booked her place in Team Nigeria by finishing among the top performers in the women’s 63kg division, alongside fellow Akwa Ibom judoka Immaculata Ufot, who qualified in the 57kg category.
The 28-year-old has been one of Nigeria’s leading judokas for several years. She comes from a family with a strong judo background, with both of her parents involved in the sport. Her mother, Catherine Ekuta, represented Nigeria internationally, while her father, Ewa Ekuta, is a former judoka who has also served within the Nigeria Judo Federation.
Ekuta has built an impressive record on the continental stage. She won silver in the women’s 63kg division at the 2019 African Judo Championships before capturing gold at the 2020 African Championships in Dakar, where she defeated Cameroon’s Helene Wezeu Dombeu in the final.
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She has also competed regularly on the International Judo Federation circuit and represented Nigeria at several major international events.
Her latest achievement in Glasgow adds another landmark to that career and provides a major boost for Nigerian judo. It also rewards the progress she has continued to make since returning to international competition following her qualification campaign earlier this year.
Judo returned to the Commonwealth Games programme in Glasgow after previously featuring at Manchester 2002, Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022. Competition in the sport was held over three days at the Scottish Event Campus, with medals contested across 14 weight categories.
