… King Charles to open tournament
With just eight days to the start of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, excitement is building as Team Nigeria intensifies preparations for one of the Commonwealth’s biggest multi-sport events.
Nigeria’s sprint star, Favour Ashe, has expressed confidence in the team’s ability to deliver impressive performances, saying the athletes are fully prepared and determined to make the country proud.
“We have prepared well and everyone is focused on giving their best. Team Nigeria has a strong tradition at the Commonwealth Games, and we are confident we can compete for medals and make Nigerians proud,” Ashe said.
The Opening Ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 23, at The Hydro in Glasgow, where Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla will join thousands of athletes, officials, volunteers and spectators from across the Commonwealth to officially declare the XXIII Commonwealth Games open.
More than 3,000 athletes from 74 Commonwealth nations and territories will compete for 215 gold medals across 10 sports during the 11-day competition.
A major highlight of the ceremony will be King Charles III’s reading of the message placed inside the King’s Baton on Commonwealth Day, March 10, 2025, at Buckingham Palace before the Baton Relay began. British cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy, the first Batonbearer, will also feature in the celebrations.
The King’s Baton Relay has completed its historic 500-day journey through all 74 Commonwealth nations and territories, the longest relay in the history of the Games. For the first time, all 74 Batons will be reunited in Glasgow, symbolising the unity, diversity and shared values of the Commonwealth.
Throughout the relay, the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Plastics Campaign, delivered in partnership with the Royal Commonwealth Society, engaged communities across member nations in environmental conservation efforts aimed at preventing one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waters.
Team Nigeria will be aiming to build on its rich Commonwealth Games legacy, with its athletes expected to challenge for medals across several events and reinforce the country’s status as one of Africa’s leading sporting nations.
