Nigeria Targets Record Golds at Commonwealth Games in Scotland

Seventy-two Nigerian athletes will compete in 10 sports at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which start today. The National Sports Commission is aiming for a record 20 gold medals. This would beat the previous record of 12 golds achieved at Birmingham 2022.

Team Nigeria finished its preparation with a three-week training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland. The first group of athletes and officials left for Glasgow earlier this week. A second group moved into the Games Village on Friday to join their teammates. The official opening ceremony is set for Friday.

Nigeria's campaign kicks off with the para powerlifting team. This sport has consistently brought home medals for Nigeria at major events. Team captain Folashade Oluwafemiayo, the reigning Commonwealth champion, is also a two-time Paralympic gold medallist. She is a four-time world champion and holds multiple world records. Folashade hopes to defend the title she won in Birmingham. She will compete alongside world champion Rita Ferdinand. Rita is in great form after matching the women’s world record. She lifted 154 kilogrammes at the African Open Championships in Oran, Algeria, and set a new African record in the women’s up to seventy-nine kilogrammes category.

On the track, Nigeria is counting on world record holder Tobi Amusan and sprint star Kayinsola Ajayi. Kayinsola has emerged as one of the fastest men in the world this season. Amusan is back at the Commonwealth Games aiming for her third straight women’s 100m hurdles title. She won gold in 2018 and 2022. The 29-year-old has regained her best form this year. She won Diamond League meetings in Rabat and Paris, with a season’s best of 12.28 seconds on three occasions. Amusan also defended her African title in Ghana and qualified for the Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium.

For Ajayi, the Auburn University star comes to Glasgow after winning both the NCAA Indoor 60 metres and NCAA Outdoor 100 metres titles. He has equalled the Nigerian men’s 100m national record of 9.84 seconds three times this season. His latest win was at the London Diamond League, where he beat reigning world champion Oblique Seville. He also achieved this earlier at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene.

But Nigeria's preparations hit a snag with the injury withdrawal of long jump star Ese Brume. This ends her bid to defend her title, which she won with a record leap of 7.00m. Ruth Usoro has been added to the squad in her place and will jump alongside Prestina Ochonogor in the women’s long jump.

In the field events, African record holder Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will lead Nigeria’s charge in the men’s shot put. He is a two-time African champion and holds the continental record with a throw of 22.10m. He is seen as one of the country’s top medal hopes.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s boxing team will be led by Patricia Mbata. She is a British-born middleweight who switched to Nigeria and won gold at the African Games. She secured her spot in the squad by defeating reigning national champion Blessing Orakwe at the selection trials. This will be Mbata’s Commonwealth Games debut.

The National Sports Commission, led by chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and director general Bukola Olopade, has launched a better athlete welfare package for the Games. This includes bigger camping allowances, improved travel support, and larger performance bonuses. Gold medallists could earn up to $8,000 in total rewards.

Every athlete and official received N500,000 for travel support. They also got enhanced camping allowances both at home and abroad. Olopade urged the team to justify the investment as they boarded the bus for Glasgow. He told the athletes that a lot has been given to them, so a lot is expected in return. Sprinter Favour Ashe, who recently won the men’s 100m in 10.06 seconds at the BFTAA Open in Lee Valley, England, praised the Commission for the training camp in Aberdeen. He confirmed that camp allowances were paid in full, and this was backed by former World and Olympic wrestling champion Daniel Igali in a previous interview.

Nigeria first took part in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland in 1950. The country won a single silver medal through high jumper Joshua Majekodunmi. Since then, Nigeria has grown into one of the most respected sporting nations in the competition. The country has won 271 medals: 82 gold, 84 silver, and 105 bronze. The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from July 23 to August 2. About three thousand athletes from 74 Commonwealth Games Associations will compete for 215 gold medals across eleven sports. This will be the fourth time Scotland hosts the Games.