5 Days to Go: Did You Know? First Gold Medal at 2026 Commonwealth Games Will Be Won by a Para Athlete
Oru Leonard
With just five days until the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, anticipation continues to build as Team Nigeria’s para athletes prepare to make history from the very first medal event of the Games.
The first gold medal of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will be decided in Para Powerlifting on Friday, July 24, at the SEC Armadillo, where Nigeria’s reigning women’s heavyweight champion, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, will be among the leading contenders for the podium.
Para Powerlifting will officially produce the first of the 215 gold medals to be awarded during the Games, with competition taking place across 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 some of the world’s best para athletes, with Team Nigeria looking to continue its proud tradition of excellence in the sport.
The competition will be contested across eight weight categories, with the men’s events ranging from 60kg to over 110kg, while the women’s events will feature lifters from 48kg to over 86kg.
Nigeria heads into the Games with high expectations following outstanding performances by its para powerlifters on the international stage, and Oluwafemiayo is widely regarded as one of the country’s brightest medal prospects as she seeks to add another Commonwealth title to her illustrious career.
Recently, the National Sports Commission (NSC) unveiled an enhanced reward package for Team Nigeria athletes competing at Glasgow 2026 to boost team team morale and determination. Under the approved incentive structure, every gold medalist will receive an instant cash reward of $3,000, while silver and bronze medalists will earn $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. Coaches of medal-winning athletes will also receive corresponding cash rewards.
In addition, medal-winning athletes 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, underscoring the Federal Government’s commitment to rewarding excellence and motivating Team Nigeria to deliver another memorable Commonwealth Games campaign.
(Kola Daniel, S.A. Media, July 18, 2026)
