Team Nigeria’s quest for medals at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland will commence on Friday with events in para-powerlifting, as the country’s physcially challeneged athletes set the stage in what their officials hope will be a surge to 16 or 20 gold medals.
Sports247 gathered that Team Nigeria’s overall female captain, Folashade Oluwafemiayo will lead the country’s rush for gold, as she enters the contest as reigning Commonwealth Games champion, two-time Paralympics gold medalist, four-time world champion and multiple world record holder.
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Oluwafemiayo, who has totally dominated the women’s para-powerlifting heavyweight division for years, is buoyed by memories of how she successfully defended her Paralympics title last year in Paris and has since maintained her world number one ranking.
While aiming for a strong start for Team Nigeria and hoping to retain her Commonwealth title, Oluwafemiayo will be joined by Rita Ferdinand, who is also a reigning world champion and heads into the Games in exceptional form, having recently equalled the women’s world record, thereby making her a strong medal hope as well.
She did that with a lift of 154kg at the African Open Championships in Oran, Algeria, where she also set a new African record in the women’s plus 79kg category, which also makes her rank high among Nigeria’s gold medal prospects in a 72-athlete delegation competing across 10 disciplines.
Incidentally, all athletes in Team Nigeria’s delegation to Glasgow 2026 have been motivated with cash promises from the National Sports Commission (NSC), which pledged cumulative rewards of $8,000 for gold, $5,000 for silver and $3,000 for bronze medalists at Glasgow 2026.
Sports247 reports further that, with each athlete and official in the delegation having already received ₦500,000 in travel support, along with significantly enhanced local and overseas camping allowances, the stage is set for Nigeria to surpass its height achieved at the last edition in Birmingham City, England.
