Enku Ekuta Ends 24-Year Wait for Nigeria Judo Medal at Commonwealth Games
Nigerian judoka Enku Ekuta has ended a 24-year wait for a Commonwealth Games medal in judo after winning bronze in the women’s 63kg event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Ekuta secured her place on the podium after defeating Zambia’s Rita Kabinda in the bronze medal contest.
The Nigerian enjoyed an impressive run in Glasgow, recording earlier victories over New Zealand’s Qona Christie and Solomon Islands’ Georgina George.
Her bronze medal 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.
The achievement is also a major moment for Nigerian judo, which had gone more than two decades without a medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Ekuta qualified for the Glasgow Games after performing strongly at the Nigeria Judo Federation’s Commonwealth Games trials in Abuja. She finished among the top athletes in the women’s 63kg category to earn her place in Team Nigeria.
She was joined in the team by fellow Akwa Ibom judoka Immaculata Ufot, who qualified in the women’s 57kg category.
The 28-year-old has been one of Nigeria’s leading judokas for several years and comes from a family with a strong background in the sport.
Her mother, Catherine Ekuta, represented Nigeria internationally, while her father, Ewa Ekuta, is a former judoka who has also worked with the Nigeria Judo Federation.
Ekuta has also enjoyed success at African level. She won silver in the women’s 63kg category at the 2019 African Judo Championships before going one step further at the 2020 African Championships in Dakar, where she won gold after defeating Cameroon’s Helene Wezeu Dombeu in the final.
She has also competed regularly on the International Judo Federation circuit and represented Nigeria at several major international competitions.
Her latest success in Glasgow adds another important achievement to her career and gives Nigerian judo a major boost.
Judo returned to the Commonwealth Games programme in Glasgow after previously featuring at Manchester 2002, Glasgow 2014 and Birmingham 2022. The competition was held over three days at the Scottish Event Campus, with medals awarded across 14 weight categories.
