By Samuel Akpan
President Bola Tinubu will host a formal send-off for Team Nigeria at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, July 2.
Ahead of their departure for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, the President is expected to charge the athletes to compete with honor and resilience.
A senior official from the National Sports Commission (NSC) confirmed the event to Persecondnews on Wednesday in Abuja, emphasizing that the reception underscores the administration’s robust support for the contingent as they enter the final stages of preparation to represent the nation.
Nigeria hopes to surpass its strong performance from the 2022 edition in Birmingham, where it finished as the leading African country on the medals table with 35 medals — 12 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze.
The squad has been sharpening its skills during a training camp in Abuja, with athletes putting in hard work to peak at the right time.
The 74 athletes making up the contingent will leave Nigeria on Friday, travelling first to Aberdeen in the United Kingdom for a three-week preparatory camp before moving on to Glasgow.
The country will feature in 10 sports at the Games.
Holding between July 23 and August 2, the 2026 Commonwealth Games is expected to unite athletes from member- nations of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sporting excellence across multiple events.
Persecondnews recalls that President Tinubu had on several occasions restated his belief in the potential of Nigerian sportsmen and women to achieve great feats globally while assuring them of the Federal Government’s unwavering support.