AFOLABI SAHEED OLAWALE
Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Chef de Mission of Team Nigeria to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Hon. Bukola Olopade, has arrived at Team Nigeria’s pre-Games training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he received arriving athletes, coaches and officials ahead of the country’s final phase of preparations for Glasgow 2026.
Olopade, who inspected facilities and accommodations, went ahead to welcome members of the Nigerian contingent as they arrived, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to providing the best possible environment for the athletes to excel on the international stage.
“We are here because preparation is everything. Our athletes deserve the very best environment to train, recover and compete, and that is exactly what we have provided in Aberdeen. We want every member of Team Nigeria to remain focused because the nation believes in them, and we are confident they will make Nigeria proud in Glasgow,” Olopade said.
The DG added that the Commission’s athlete-centred approach would continue throughout the Games.
“Our responsibility is to eliminate every avoidable distraction and allow our athletes and coaches to concentrate fully on performance. We have planned meticulously, and I am pleased with what I have seen since arriving at the camp. The atmosphere is excellent, the facilities are first-class, and the athletes are in high spirits.”
As of Friday night, 54 Nigerian athletes had successfully arrived at the Aberdeen camp, with more athletes and officials expected to join the contingent over the weekend.
Amongst Friday arrivals, received by the DG are captain and multiple Paralympic gold medalist Folashade Oluwafemiayo, Favour Ashe, Patience George-Okon, amongst others.
The serene, high-performance training environment in Aberdeen has been carefully selected to give Team Nigeria the ideal conditions for acclimatisation, technical preparation and recovery before the athletes move to Glasgow for competition.
The contingent will spend the next three weeks at the camp fine-tuning preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23rd July to 2nd August 2026.
The Games are expected to feature about 3,000 athletes from across the Commonwealth competing in 10 sports.
