Igali Urges Nigerians to Judge Team Nigeria Fairly as Gold Rush Continues at Glasgow 2026

Oru Leonard 

World and Olympic wrestling champion, Daniel Igali, has urged Nigerians to assess Team Nigeria’s performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with proper context, describing the country’s haul of nine gold medals as a remarkable achievement despite competing in fewer events.
Igali said the athletes’ success deserves widespread celebration, noting that every medal reflects years of dedication, sacrifice and hard work by competitors, coaches and support staff.
“The first thing I want to say is congratulations. Winning nine gold medals at this stage of the Games is an achievement worthy of celebration. Every one of those medals represents years of unseen sacrifice by athletes, coaches and support staff. We celebrate the few minutes on the podium, but we often forget the thousands of hours that made those moments possible,” he said.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports also praised the leadership of the National Sports Commission (NSC), attributing the renewed optimism in Nigerian sports to the commission’s direction under Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director General Bukola Olopade.
According to Igali, the current NSC leadership has brought fresh purpose to sports administration while demonstrating confidence in Nigerian athletes.
“I also commend the leadership of the National Sports Commission. Since its reconstitution, there has been renewed energy and purpose in Nigerian sports. The Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Honourable Bukola Olopade, have provided visible leadership and have shown confidence in our athletes,” he said.
Although pre-Games projections suggested Nigeria could win between 16 and 20 gold medals, Igali stressed that such expectations should be viewed against the backdrop of the country’s reduced participation.
He pointed out that Team Nigeria competed in only 10 sports with a smaller contingent than in previous editions, while wrestling—one of Nigeria’s most successful medal-winning events at the Commonwealth Games—was excluded from the Glasgow programme.
“Most significantly, wrestling, one of Nigeria’s most reliable sources of Commonwealth gold medals, is absent from these Games. Over the last three editions, wrestling has averaged about three gold medals for Nigeria. That reality cannot simply be ignored,” he said.
Using a popular proverb to underscore his point, Igali noted that achievements should be measured by the opportunities available.
“There is an old saying that when you judge a man’s harvest, first look at the size of the land he cultivated. Numbers without context sometimes tell only half the story,” he remarked.
The wrestling icon urged Nigerians to continue supporting the athletes irrespective of the final medal tally, insisting that every member of Team Nigeria deserves recognition for the sacrifices made in representing the country.
He added that surpassing 16 gold medals would be a significant accomplishment, while equalling Nigeria’s previous Commonwealth Games gold medal tally despite competing in fewer sports would represent an exceptional campaign.
“As someone who has stood on that podium, I know that before every medal there are years when nobody is clapping. That is why every Nigerian athlete wearing our colours already deserves our respect. The medals are simply the part the world gets to see,” Igali said.