Reporting live from London

After three weeks of preparation in their Aberdeen camp, the first batch of Nigerian athletes and officials will hit Glasgow, Scotland, today for the Commonwealth Games.

The opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held on Friday, and Nigerian athletes and officials will be part of the parade.

Team Nigeria’s second batch will move into the Games Village on Friday, July 24, to join their teammates already on the ground for the opening days of competition.

While fine-tuning their preparations in Aberdeen camp, the athletes had intensive training and acclimatisation to be in good shape for the biggest sporting event in the Commonwealth calendar.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) said yesterday that it will continue to provide the athletes with the necessary technical, medical and welfare support to ensure they arrive in Glasgow in peak condition and to compete with their counterparts from other nations.

Team Nigeria will be represented by a strong contingent of athletes across several sports, with the country’s medal hopes buoyed by recent impressive performances at continental and international championships.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held from July 23 to August 2, featuring about 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth Games Associations competing for 215 gold medals across 11 sports.

Scotland is hosting the Commonwealth Games for the fourth time, following Edinburgh 1970 and 1986, and Glasgow 2014.

The NSC said yesterday that Team Nigeria has prepared diligently and will proudly represent the country throughout the Games.

The Commission outlined the expectations placed on the athletes in this year’s Commonwealth Games, with its Director General, Bukola Olopade, reiterating President Bola Tinubu’s keen interest in the athletes’ progress.

Olopade urged the athletes to remain focused, patriotic, and maintain a scandal-free record throughout the duration of the Games, reminding them that they are ambassadors of over 200 million Nigerians.

“At this stage, your personal discipline and exemplary conduct are crucial when you wear the national colours on the global stage,” Olopade stated.