Weightlifting sensation wins Kenya first medal at Commonwealth Games

Team Kenya landed their first medal at the ongoing 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday, 26 July, after weightlifting sensation Mboya Joshua Amunga claimed bronze in men’s 60 kilograms category.

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Having endured a torrid opening two days in the competition, Kenya was granted its first moment at huge celebration when the 21-year-old Amunga produced a perfect showing at the SEC Armadillo auditorium, lifting a total of 260kgs to finish third in a thrilling final.

Amunga, who is also a beneficiary of the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship heading into the 2028 LA Games, lifted a perfect 115 kg on snatch and 145 on clean and jerk, to edge his rivals and take the last spot on the podium.

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Leading the way in the contest was Malaysia’s Bin Kasdan Mohamad, who took gold with a new Commonwealth Games Record total of 273 kgs, while India’s Rishikanta Singh Chanambam won silver, thanks to a total lift of 264 kgs.

With the bronze, Amunga gave Kenya liftoff at the Games, all while earning his nation a 259th medal at the competition since its inception.

Elsewhere across Glasgow, Kenya’s underwhelming performances in bowling, basketball and swimming continued, with very little to cheer on.

In bowling, Kenya’s Anwar Hamada extended his winless run at this year’s edition after suffering two defeats in the men’s Singles sectional play, to effectively end his ambitions for a medal.

The 59-year-old, having lost of his opening group matches, fell in straight sets to both Shaun James Parnis of Malta and USA’s Izzat Shameer, to leave him bottom of Section D without a point in four matches.

His last game in the competition will come on Monday, 28 July, when he comes up against India’s Putul Sonowal.

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In the women’s pairs sectional play, a similar set of performance was witnessed, as Kenya’s duo of Eunice Mbugua and Nancy Cheruiyot stumbled to a 2-0 sets defeat to Wales, leaving them without a win in four matches.

Currently placed fifth in Section C, the pair will end their campaign with a match against Botswana on Monday, 28 July.

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Meanwhile in the 3x3 courts, both Kenya men’s wheelchair and women’s basketball teams suffered defeats on Sunday, pushing them closer to their exits.

After falling to reigning silver medalists Canada in their opener on Friday, Kenya’s men wheelchair team made it back-to-back defeats after going 21-5 to Australia, to remain bottom of Pool A with one game against England left to play on Monday, 28 July.

The women’s team, on the other hand, extended their awful run with a 16-21 defeat to Jamaica, a result that all but ended their run at the Games.

With just one win in four matches, Kenya will wrap up their campaign with a Pool A match against Cayman Islands later on Sunday.

In the pool, Kenyan swimmer Imara-Bella Thorpe gave the nation a glimmer of hope after booking her spot to the semifinals of the women’s 100m butterfly, this after finishing fifth in Heat Two with a time of 1:02.35.

Her compatriots - Haniel Kudwoli and Sara Mose - could however, not match the level, as they were all bounced out of the men’s 50m breaststroke and women’s 100m freestyle with times of 28.86 and 58.11, respectively.

Thorpe runs in Heat Two of the semifinals later on Sunday.