Glasgow 2026: Nigeria's Oluwafemiayo, Ajayi to Compete

Nigeria's reigning Commonwealth champion Folashade Oluwafemiayo and sprint star Kayinsola Ajayi were among a galaxy of elite athletes confirmed for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, which took place from July 23 to August 2, 2026. Organisers announced the star-studded line-up just days before the opening ceremony.

With around 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories expected to compete across 10 sports and six para sports, the Games featured a total of 215 gold medals up for grabs over 11 days of competition.

Attention for Team Nigeria centred on Oluwafemiayo, the women's heavyweight para powerlifting world record holder, who aimed to defend the Commonwealth title she secured in Birmingham four years prior. After her record-breaking performance at the 2022 Games, where Nigeria topped the para powerlifting medals table with four medals, including one gold and two silver medals, she was chasing another gold medal.

In athletics, all eyes were on Ajayi, who arrived in Glasgow in exceptional form after equalling the Nigerian men's 100m record with a time of 9.84 seconds at the London Diamond League prior to the Games. The men's 100m event promised to be one of the highlights of the Games, as Ajayi sought to renew his rivalry with defending Commonwealth champion Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya.

The host nation, Scotland, was led by the newly crowned world mile record holder Josh Kerr, while England’s sprint hopes relied on Zharnel Hughes and Georgia Hunter-Bell. Also featuring in the Games were global stars like Jamaican sprint queen Shericka Jackson, Canadian Olympic champion Andre De Grasse, India's Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, Pakistan's defending Commonwealth champion Arshad Nadeem, and South African swimming legend Chad le Clos.

Australia, which led the Birmingham 2022 medal table with 67 gold medals, was once again fielding a strong team, with England, Canada, India, New Zealand, and Scotland expected to challenge for overall honours. Team Nigeria planned to compete strongly in para powerlifting, athletics, weightlifting, boxing, and wrestling, as they sought to improve on their performances from previous editions of the Games.