Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has urged Team Nigeria athletes to compete with courage, discipline and patriotism as they prepare to leave their training base in Aberdeen for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Addressing the contingent at the end of the final phase of their preparations in Scotland, Olopade commended the athletes for their commitment during the training camp and challenged them to justify the Federal Government’s significant investment in their preparations with podium finishes.
He said Team Nigeria had been provided with every necessary support to excel at the Games and expressed confidence that the athletes were ready to compete against the best in the Commonwealth.
“I addressed our Team Nigeria athletes at their training camp in Aberdeen as they concluded the final phase of their preparations ahead of their departure to Glasgow for the start of the Commonwealth Games in just six days,” Olopade said.
The NSC Director General highlighted the Federal Government’s commitment to sports development under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the support given to Team Nigeria as unprecedented.
“The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has made an unprecedented investment in Team Nigeria by providing a world-class training environment to ensure our athletes are fully prepared to compete with the very best,” he said.
Olopade reminded the athletes that representing Nigeria on the international stage is both a privilege and a responsibility, urging them to uphold the country’s image throughout the competition.
He called on the athletes to remain focused, disciplined and patriotic while avoiding any conduct capable of bringing the nation into disrepute.
“I reminded the team that wearing the Green and White is both an honour and a responsibility. I urged every athlete to remain focused, disciplined, patriotic and scandal-free throughout the Games while giving their very best for our great nation,” he said.
Delivering a final message of encouragement ahead of the team’s departure for Glasgow, Olopade urged the athletes to embrace the challenge before them and compete fearlessly.
“As you step onto the world stage, compete with courage, make Nigeria proud, and remember that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, looks forward to welcoming you home with medals and stories of success,” he added.
Team Nigeria will depart Aberdeen for Glasgow in the coming days to begin its campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, following weeks of intensive training at a high-performance camp in Scotland. The Nigerian contingent will be aiming to build on the country’s proud Commonwealth Games tradition by securing medals across several sporting disciplines.
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