By Peter Akinbo
Former World and Olympic wrestling champion, Daniel Igali, who is Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports, has expressed confidence in Team Nigeria’s chances of an impressive outing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, while commending the National Sports Commission for prioritising athlete welfare ahead of the competition, The PUNCH reports.
Igali said the signs emerging from the camp of Team Nigeria pointed to a delegation well positioned to compete for honours, largely because of the improved attention given to preparations.
“From all the information available, I believe there are genuine reasons to be optimistic about Team Nigeria’s prospects at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games,” Igali said.
He commended the NSC chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and director general, Bukola Olopade, for creating an environment that allowed athletes to focus solely on performance.
“Reports indicate that the athletes arrived in the United Kingdom early enough for proper acclimatisation, while allowances and other welfare arrangements have been addressed in good time. As a former athlete, I can say these are not small matters. When athletes are free from welfare concerns, they are able to focus entirely on performance,” he said.
The Olympic gold medallist, however, noted that long-term planning remained the true foundation of success at major championships, adding that he could not fully assess the quality of preparation that preceded the final camp from outside the technical setup.
Igali identified athletics, weightlifting and the para sports as Nigeria’s strongest medal prospects, and predicted that the boxing team could also spring surprises in Glasgow.
“Weightlifting, in particular, has remained one of Nigeria’s most dependable medal-winning sports, and I will be following the team with special interest,” he said.
The sports commissioner also wished Bayelsa athletes, Abayomi Adeyemi, Favour Agboro, Ruth Ayodele, Adedapo Opadeji and Tima Godbless, success at the Games, saying they had earned their places through hard work and merit.
