Bukola Olopade, the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Team Nigeria’s Chef de Mission to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, has officially welcomed Nigerian athletes and officials to their pre-Games training camp in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The Nigerian contingent is scheduled to spend 20 days at the Aberdeen camp before moving to the Games Village in Glasgow ahead of the commencement of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
During his visit to the camp, Olopade inspected the training facilities and accommodation before receiving the athletes as they arrived. He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to providing Team Nigeria with the best possible environment to prepare for the competition.
According to him, adequate preparation remains the key to success, stressing that the athletes deserve world-class facilities to train, recover and compete.
“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,” Olopade said.
He added that Team Nigeria should remain focused, expressing confidence that the athletes would make the country proud at the Games in Glasgow.
Olopade further noted that the NSC’s responsibility is to remove every avoidable distraction so that athletes and coaches can concentrate fully on achieving success.
“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,” he added.
As of Friday night, 54 athletes had arrived at the Aberdeen training camp, while additional competitors and officials were expected to join the contingent over the weekend.
Among those welcomed by Olopade were Team Nigeria captain and multiple Paralympic gold medallist Folashade Oluwafemiayo, sprinter Favour Ashe, and quarter-miler Patience George-Okon.
Aberdeen was selected as Team Nigeria’s training base to provide a calm, high-performance environment where athletes can acclimatise, fine-tune their preparations and recover ahead of the Games.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2, with Team Nigeria expected to spend about three weeks in Aberdeen before relocating to the Games Village.
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