By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
With five days to the start of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Team Nigeria’s para powerlifters are poised to compete for the first gold medal of the competition, raising hopes of an early podium finish for the country.
The opening gold medal of the Games will be decided in the Para Powerlifting event on Friday, July 24, at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow. Nigeria’s reigning women’s heavyweight champion, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, is among the favourites to claim the title and give Team Nigeria a dream start to its campaign.
Para Powerlifting will produce the first of the 215 gold medals to be awarded at the Games, with competitions scheduled in two sessions from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.
The event will feature eight weight categories, with men’s contests ranging from 60kg to over 110kg and women’s events from 48kg to over 86kg.
Nigeria heads into the Games confident of another strong showing in para powerlifting, a sport in which the country has consistently excelled on the international stage. Oluwafemiayo, a multiple-time world champion and Commonwealth gold medallist, is expected to lead the nation’s medal charge.
To further motivate Team Nigeria, the National Sports Commission (NSC) recently announced an enhanced reward package for athletes competing in Glasgow. Under the incentive scheme, gold medal winners will receive an instant cash reward of $3,000, while silver and bronze medallists will earn $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. Coaches of medal-winning athletes will also receive corresponding cash rewards.
In addition, athletes who win medals will receive separate performance bonuses paid directly into their bank accounts, with $5,000 for gold, $3,000 for silver and $2,000 for bronze, reinforcing the Federal Government’s commitment to rewarding excellence and inspiring Team Nigeria to achieve another successful Commonwealth Games outing.
