Cyclists get British coaches

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has said that Nigeria’s preparation for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is already taking shape.

The Director General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, revealed in a telephone chat with The Guardian, yesterday, that the NSC is working hard towards achieving a better result in Glasgow.

He stated that Nigeria’s weightlifters are on their way to Samoa and Egypt as part of efforts to solidify their preparation for the Games.

Olopade also revealed that the British Council has agreed to train two Nigerian cyclists, just as he added that Nigeria’s Wheelchair Basketball team will engage their British counterparts in friendly matches during the four-week camp in Aberdeen, Scotland, ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

“As we speak, all our kits and apparels for the Commonwealth Games have been supplied by Puma. We don’t want a situation whereby some athletes will complain of not getting enough kits to train or compete in Glasgow.

“Our preparations for the Commonwealth Games actually started long ago. The payment of training grants to our athletes (both local and foreign-based) are part of our build-ups to the Commonwealth Games and the Africa Games.

“Our track and field athletes have been in our camp in Asaba. Our boxers recently did their selection in Lagos; our wheelchair basketball team recently went to Angola, where they defeated South Africa to pick their ticket for the Commonwealth Games. It has never happened in the history of Nigeria’s sports,” he stated.

Olopade explained that the four-week intensive, residential training camp in Aberdeen in June is to facilitate acclimatisation, improve team cohesion and eliminate logistical challenges for Team Nigeria athletes.

“One major step the NSC took recently to boost the morale of our athletes is by announcing a list of distinguished Team Nigeria Ambassadors ahead of the Commonwealth Games. We picked respected seasoned sports administrators such as Dr Amos Adamu, Chief Patrick Ekeji, Mallam Saleh Ahmadu and Alhassan Yakmut as ambassadors to ensure a strong and impactful outing in Glasgow.

“Some of these seasoned administrators, who previously served as Directors-General of the NSC, will bring a wealth of experience expected to benefit our preparations and overall performance at the Games. Their appointments reflect the NSC’s strategic effort to blend administrative expertise, technical knowledge and athlete experience in strengthening Team Nigeria’s campaign,” Olopade stated.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will hold in Glasgow from July 23 July to August 2, 2026, bringing together thousands of athletes from across the Commonwealth nations. (The Guardian News)