With just two weeks until the start of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Team Nigeria athletes have declared themselves ready for the challenge after settling into a high-performance training camp at the Aberdeen Sports Village in Scotland.
According to The Punch, the Nigerian contingent has begun the final phase of preparations at the world-class facility, with athletes expressing confidence that the quality of the camp has provided everything needed to deliver strong performances at the Games, scheduled for July 23 to August 2.
Nigeria will compete in 10 sports with a 74-athlete delegation.
Team captain and Paralympic champion Folashade Oluwafemiayo said the standard of facilities at the camp leaves the athletes with no room for excuses.
“There is no excuse for failure because the equipment is very good for our training. This is one of the best training camps we have been to and I believe with this, we are going to make Nigeria proud,” she said.
The squad commenced training on Monday, making full use of Aberdeen Sports Village’s elite sporting infrastructure as preparations gather momentum.
Situated on Linksfield Road in Aberdeen, the complex is recognised as one of Scotland’s premier high-performance sports centres. It boasts a World Athletics-certified 400m track, a UK Athletics-approved indoor arena, an Olympic-standard swimming facility, a high-performance gym, recovery suites and multi-purpose indoor halls.
The venue has hosted several international events and regularly welcomes elite athletes from across the globe.
Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, said the decision to base the team at Aberdeen was driven by the desire to provide athletes with the best possible environment before the Games.
“Aberdeen Sports Village offers facilities that meet the highest international standards, and we are confident our athletes will make the most of this final preparation period. We remain optimistic about Team Nigeria’s prospects in Glasgow and wish every athlete an injury-free and successful campaign,” Olopade said.
Captain of Nigeria’s wheelchair basketball team, Ijigbamigbe Gbemisola, said the quality of the preparations has boosted the team’s confidence despite being regarded as outsiders.
“We are ready to prove critics wrong. We are the underdogs, but now we are coming out on top.”
Weightlifting star Edidiong Joseph is also targeting a better outing than her performance at the previous Games, where she claimed a bronze medal.
“This is the first time I am going on a training tour since the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. I won a bronze medal then and this time I have to return home with a gold medal. I am very happy with the level of preparation and I thank the NSC for putting this in place.”
Team Nigeria heads into Glasgow hoping to improve on its impressive showing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where it finished as Africa’s highest-ranked nation after winning 35 medals — 12 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze.
