Competing in the men’s 60kg category at the SEC Armadillo, Amunga delivered a composed display to secure a bronze medal with a combined total lift of 260kg (115kg in the snatch and 145kg in the clean and jerk).
His podium finish gave Kenya its opening medal of the Games, comfortably fending off Sri Lanka's SDSS Wiriduwagle, who finished fourth at 244kg.
Malaysia’s Mohamad Kasdan scooped the gold medal with a 273kg Games record total, while India’s Rishikanta Singh took silver.
'It’s my first biggest medal'
Speaking shortly after stepping off the podium in Glasgow, a visibly elated Amunga beamed as he reflected on delivering for his country.
"First of all, I am happy. It’s my first biggest medal, the first one I’ve got in the biggest competition," Amunga shared with reporters.
"I have never been this happy before. Pressure was high because when the slot times came out, it wasn’t the usual list of competitors we normally face.
"It was tough, but I stayed focused and gave myself motivation preparing for this competition."
Amunga’s manager Pius Ochieng lauded the youngster and tipped him for greatness in the sport. Amunga’s journey to the Commonwealth podium was far from seamless.
The 20-year-old revealed he had been battling back from a severe injury sustained earlier in the year that threatened to derail his entire 2026 campaign.
"My biggest challenge was staying consistent through my hardest times," Amunga explained.
"I was recovering from an injury just two months ago - I got injured around April, and it lasted about three months.
"I just recovered recently and started building up slowly by slowly, focusing on this moment. Everything - our strategies, everything - worked."
Amunga added: "My coach always tells me not to have pressure. Everything takes time; everything has its own time. Even when I have pressure, I try to cool down as my coach says and trust the process.
"Everything pays off. I met my coach when I was finishing primary school, around 2019 or 2020 in Thika. He introduced me to weightlifting.
"At first, weightlifting is tough, but the more you train, the more you build up, and it becomes easy once you love it."
Growing up, international sporting stardom was never on the radar for the young lifter, whose childhood revolved around neighbourhood football matches.
"When I was a kid, playing football was all we knew - that was the only sport," he laughed. "I never knew I would come to stand on an international stage, or win a big medal like this.
"It was never in my mind at all. But after I got into weightlifting and started progressing, I began to see a future in it. Everything I've been working on paid off today."
Mark Otieno targets final spot
Meanwhile, Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno is filled with optimism as he prepares for his second Commonwealth Games appearance, determined to elevate his performance in the men's 100m event.
Speaking to reporters in Glasgow, the national athletic star reflected on his preparation and set high ambitions for the competition ahead.
Otieno further emphasised that his build-up to the Games has been seamless and that his focus remains entirely on delivering top performances, irrespective of external conditions.
"My preparation has been okay, and it has been really good,” Otieno said. "I’m really optimistic and looking forward to a good performance. Despite the weather, I just want to come here and perform well."
Acknowledging the cooler climate in Scotland, he remained composed regarding the environmental challenges: "I know it was summer, as they said, but if the weather changes, these are uncontrollable circumstances, so we're going to go with how it is.
"But yeah, I'm really happy that this is my second Commonwealth and I'm really looking forward to performing much better and better."
Reflecting on his Commonwealth Games debut on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2018 - where he reached the semi-finals in both the 100m and 200m events, Otieno explained his refined strategy for this edition.
"In Gold Coast, I reached the semi-finals in the 100m and 200m. So, this one I’m doing the 100m only," Otieno noted.
"I’m really looking forward to reaching the finals and hopefully coming out with a personal best."
In Glasgow, Otieno will be competing exclusively in the 100m distance, and his main focus is to advance past the semi-final hurdle into the final eight-man field and to lower his personal mark on the big stage.
