CWG22: Team Nigeria sets out for medal haul as actions begins Birmingham

CWG22: Team Nigeria sets out for medal haul as actions begin in Birmingham

On Thursday evening, Team Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games turned out in glamour, pomp and pageantry during the opening ceremony of the Games in Birmingham.

Led by the flagbearers, Nnamdi Chinecherem Prosper and Oluwafemiayo Folashade as well as Mike Edwards, the athletes, 87 in total looked radiant and ready for the tasks ahead of them in the simple but fitting white and green attire.

Nigeria will start off her guest for medals on Friday, with the Men’s and Women’s Table Tennis teams in action.

Led by the Honourable Minister of Youthd and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, the country look forward to see a podium performance from the Athletes as they compete in Nine different games. 2022 Commonwealth Games:
The list of Team Nigeria athletes participating in this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

33 athletes in Athletics, Nine Boxers, Four Judokas, Four Para Athletics, Eight Para Powerlifters, Seven Para Table Tennis, Nine Table Tennis, Nine Weightlifters, 10 Wrestlers.

Apart from their antecedents in the games, Nigeria Table Tennis men’s team have some of the finest players from Africa led by world number 12 Quadri Aruna.

Listed as the number two seed in the men’s team event for the games,Aruna and the trio of Bode Abiodun, Olajide Omotayo and debutant Amadi Omeh have all the quality to humble any team in Birmingham, but they have to be at their best against England which is the top seed as well as star-studded India who has legendary Sharath Kamal Achanta, the 2004 Melbourne Champion as well as Sathiyan Gnanasekaran.

Already, the Nigerian team has been handed an easy draw against Ghana, South Africa, and Cyprus in the first round.
The youthful Singapore team would not be a pushover following the retirement of some of their top players. A possible semi final clash among these four top teams is likely in Birmingham.

The women’s team will be aiming to progress from the group after being drawn with Singapore and England as well as little-known St Vincent and The Grenadines in the first round.

Considered as outsiders among the top four teams in the women’s event, it will take some effort from the players to beat Singapore and England to the top spot in the group.

On August 1 and 2, the medalists will emerge for all to see in the team event.

In the singles event, Quadri Aruna is top seed and he will face stern tests from England’s Liam Pitchford, India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, both players have been active in the last two months on the WTT Tour.

In Atheletics, Tobi Amusan will be inspiring yet another memorable moments for all the Athletics team on the heels of her recent achievements at the just concluded World Athletics Championship.

For Wrestlers, Odun Adekuroye will also serve as a motivation as she also set sights on her third gold medal in Commonwealth games after achieving a gold medal each in her two previous outings in 2014 and 2018.

For the next 11 days, Nigerians will be hoping to see the country leaped up on the medals table above their 25 medals and 8th position record in the last games in Gold Coast.