As the 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games , got off to a spectacular opening ceremony last night, Nigeria will be aiming to improve its outing with its 94 athletes competing in nine out of the 20 medal-hauling sports events . OLALEKAN OKUSAN in Birmingham reports.
The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games, is an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and has taken place every four years since then bar the 1942 and 1946 editions.
The Commonwealth Games were known as the British Empire Games from 1930 to 1950, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games from 1954 to 1966 and British Commonwealth Games from 1970 to 1974.
But Nigeria’s maiden participation in the games was in Auckland, New Zealand in 1950 and has since missed four editions in 1962, 1978 (in protest at New Zealand’s sporting policies towards South Africa during apartheid), 1986 and 1998 (due to suspension) over military rule.
Nigeria has won at least one medal at every Games attended while the first medal in 1950 was won by Joshua Majekodunmi in the High Jump event.
The highest number of medals won by Nigeria was at the 1994 edition in Victoria, Canada with 11 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze medals for the country to finish fourth on the medal table behind Australia, Canada and England who were the top three nations. This 1994 edition remains Nigeria’s best outing at the games with weightlifting contributing six of the gold medals, athletics amassed three gold medals, while boxing and wrestling added one gold medal each.
At the 2018 edition in Gold Coast, Australia, Nigeria finished ninth with nine gold, nine silver and six bronze medals being the second-best African team behind South Africa which finished sixth overall with 13gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals.
Already, Nigeria has listed 94 athletes that will compete in nine events out of the 20 medal hauling events at the games.
Also, 21 accompanying technical personnel will tutor the athletes in athletics, wrestling, judo, para-athletics, boxing, table tennis, para-table tennis, para-powerlifting, and weightlifting.
From the 94 athletes, athletics has the highest number of competitors of 33 with wrestling having 11. Boxing and weightlifting are made up of nine athletes each, while para-powerlifting and table tennis comprise eight players respectively. The para-table tennis team is made up of seven players, while para-athletics and judo have five and four athletes in their respective teams.
NationSports here X-ray Team Nigeria’s contingent to the Friendly Games.
Athletics
This is indeed a good time for Nigeria as the country is still celebrating the feat achieved by Tobi Amusan, who set a new world record in the women’s 100 hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon along with the silver claimed by Ese Brume in the women’s long jump.
In the history of the games, athletics has been one of the regular medal contributors and again, all eyes will be on the sport to improve the country’s medal haul in Birmingham.
The focus will be on the track event and particularly in sprint and relays and with the performance of Nigerian athletes at the just concluded World Championships in US, there is optimism in the camp that the team would surely deliver in Birmingham. From 100m to 200m and relays, hope rises for the country as Amusan leads the array of stars lined-up by Nigeria for the games.
Wrestling
Nigeria had established itself as a force to reckon with at the Commonwealth Games in wrestling dominating the event in the last few editions. Wrestling contributed the second highest medal for Nigeria at Gold Coast 2018 with three gold, two silver and three bronze medals behind powerlifting which amassed four gold and two silver medals.
Nigeria’s medal hope is certain, but Indians are not to be looked down on as they are also contenders in the event. The trio of Oborududu, Adekuoroye and Adeniyi are defending champions in their various weight categories of the women’s freestyle, and they will also be aiming to retain their title as they possess a lot of experience in their kitty having attended several tournaments prior to the games.
Table tennis
With the current form of Quadri Aruna coupled with the experience of Bode Abiodun and the youthfulness of Olajide Omotayo, Nigeria will not be a pushover in the table tennis event against top rated nations like Singapore, India and England.
Aruna who is ranked number 12 in the world will certainly be under pressure having missed the men’s singles gold at the last edition in Gold Coast.
Apart from the 2010 edition in India where Nigeria failed to win any medal in table tennis event, the country has been a regular medallist since the sport became a medal hauling event at the games in 2002 Manchester and it is also on record that it was a Nigerian Segun Toriola that claimed the first men’s singles medal at the games.
Other medal prospects include Bode Abiodun will be making another appearance at the games as he single-handedly aided Nigeria’s second place at the 2018 edition in the men’s team event
Meanwhile, Olajide Omotayo will be making his second Commonwealth Games appearance in Birmingham.
The 2019 African Games champion is yet to replicate the feat that saw him take down some of the finest African players at the 2019 African Games in Morocco.
In the team is debutant Amadi Omeh but the National Sports Festival champion can be a joker in Birmingham.
The women’s team leader, Edem Offiong, is yet to win any medal at the Commonwealth Games after missing out inexplicably for the first time in 2018 .
Apart from Offiong, Africa Cup vice champion Fatimo Bello is also part of the team as well as seven-time Olympian Olufunke Oshonaike as well as experienced junior player Esther Oribamise
The para table tennis team is made up of three men – Tajudeen Agunbiade, Nosiru Sule and Isau Ogunkunle while the women’s team has Faith Obazuaye, Faith Obiorah, and Ifechukwu Ikpeoyi.
Weightlifting
From the four athletes that featured in 2018, the team has nine athletes competing this year in Birmingham. Many sports buffs believe that Birmingham might be a turning point for the sport in Nigeria.
Boxing
Nigeria boxing has been in a coma since Efe Ajagba represented Nigeria at Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil while the inactivity in the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF) has not helped the fortune of the sport in recent times.
Para-athletics
These are perennial medalists for Nigeria and all eyes will be on them when the event begins on July 30 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Para-powerlifting
Nigeria maintained her dominance in the sport at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games as the powerlifting fetched Nigeria the highest medals with four gold and two silver medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia. Without any doubt, the sport is a sure medal for the country and all eyes will be on them in Birmingham.
Judo
Nigerian Judo is making a return to the international circuit after years of absence. Already the Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF) has listed four athletes – two men and two women for the games, but the prospect of a possible medal might be a mirage .