Nigeria's Athletics Head Aims for Seven Gold Medals in Glasgow

Chief Tonobok Okowa, the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, is pleased with Nigeria's athletics team as they prepare for the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, which start today. He confirmed that the federation is aiming for seven gold medals.

The track and field events will take place over six days, from Monday, July 27, to Saturday, August 1, at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow. This information comes from a statement by the federation’s media coordinator.

Okowa, who is leading the Nigerian team at the Games, mentioned that the presence of top athletes like Tobi Amusan, who holds the women’s 100m hurdles world record, along with Kanyinsola Ajayi, Favour Ashe, Samuel Ogazi, Rosemary Chukwuma, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, and Chinecherem Nnamdi has boosted the federation's hopes for medals.

“The number of top Nigerian athletes participating at the Games is encouraging. This is an excellent spirit, and it signals a new spirit for them to represent their fatherland at international competitions,” Okowa said.

The camp also includes athletes based in the United States, such as Alaba Akintola, Adekalu Fakorede, Udodi Onwuzurike, Nathaniel Ezekiel, Edidiong Okon Udo, Temitope Adeshina, Prestina Ochonogor, Ruth Usoro, Patience George-Okon, Chidera Ezeakor, Oyesade Oyetade, Obiageri Amaechi, Jessica Orji, and decathlete Jami Schlueter.

Schlueter will compete for Nigeria for the first time after switching from England, and teenage star Miracle Ezechukwu is also on the team.

“I feel very happy with the great spirit in camp, and we can easily meet our target of seven gold medals,” Okowa said.

Gabriel Okon, the federation’s technical director, has been in charge of training at the National Sports Commission’s camps in Abuja and Aberdeen. He said that the atmosphere in camp has been great as athletes prepare for the Games.

According to the federation, Team Nigeria will compete in over twenty events in track and field. These include the 100m, 200m, and 400m races for both men and women, the 100m hurdles, men’s and women’s 4x100m relays, mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relays, men’s 400m hurdles, women’s high jump, long jump, and triple jump, men’s and women’s shot put, men’s javelin, women’s discus, women’s hammer, and men’s decathlon.

Okowa, who is also the senior vice president of the Confederation of African Athletics, arrived in Glasgow before the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.