participants to arrive in Glasgow on Tuesday as preparation for the
start of the championships heightens in Scotland.
The wrestlers, who have been on a training tour of Romania for over a
week, comprises of 14 matsmen and seven officials.
Thousands of world's top athletes have already arrived in the British
colony ahead of the flag off the 20th edition of the Commonwealth
Games.
Team Nigeria, comprising of 127 athletes- 65 male and 62 female-, was
expected to have their final debriefing by officials of the National
Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) ahead
of the sporting events.
The team was led out of the country by an assistant director at the
NSC, Dr. Emmanuel Igbinosa.
The Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria's High Performance
Centre, Eric Campbell, has expressed optimism about Nigeria's medal
chances in Glasgow.
The country won 10 gold, eight silver and 14 bronze medals at the
previous Games held in Delhi.
Campbell said: "We have done the things that come along with high
performances as well as the structures of the national championships
and the selection process."
The American expects the athletes to surpass the 15 gold medal target
set by the NSC if they adhere to instructions.
"The DG is our leader, so if he wants 15 gold then hopefully we can
exceed that. I don't think you will be going for a competition
expecting a warning to lose," he added.
"To be specific and say gold medal is one thing, for us we want a new
way of thinking by the country to understand that every single medal
is important. Obviously to get the gold is to say that you are the
best of the best; that is what we want to happen but our goal is to go
in and get more medals."
Nigeria will be competing in eight sports, including Athletics,
Boxing, Shooting, Wrestling, Weightlifting, table Tennis, Para
Athletics and Para Power-lifting in Glasgow.
Athletics has the highest number of representatives with 46 athletes
(22 male, 24 female0 followed by Weightlifting with 16 athletes (eight
male, seven female). Shooting has 15 athletes (nine male and seven
female), while wrestling will be represented by 14 athletes (seven
male, seven female).
Boxing has 11 athletes (eight male, three female) with Table Tennis
having 10 athletes (five male, five female).
In the Para-athletics team are nine athletes (three male, six female),
while Para-Power lifting has the least with six athletes (three male,
three female).
Sportsmen and women from 71 Commonwealth nations and territories on
arrival at the Glasgow airport are transported to the Athletes Village
ahead of the opening ceremony tomorrow- starting 9:00pm till 11:00pm
(Nigerian time).
NAN
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