Commonwealth Games 2026: British High Commission Celebrates Team Nigeria’s Top-10 Finish In Glasgow

By Saheed Afolabi

The British High Commission in Nigeria has commended the National Sports Commission (NSC) for Team Nigeria’s impressive performance at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, gave the commendation when the Commission hosted Team Nigeria’s athletes and officials in Abuja.

Nigeria emerged as the best-performing African nation on the medals table, finishing seventh overall and becoming the only African country to place in the top 10.

Montgomery described Nigeria as a key member of the Commonwealth family, noting that Team Nigeria once again demonstrated the country’s sporting strength through its impressive outing in Glasgow.

“The Nigerian athletes did a fantastic job in making Nigeria proud, and we are also very proud of them, which is why we are celebrating them today,” he said.

He also commended the coaches and officials for their contributions to the team’s success, wishing the athletes greater achievements on the global stage.

“I also want to thank your coaches and officials for the role they played in your feat in Glasgow, and we wish you all more global success. I hope you enjoyed your stay in Glasgow and that you cherish the friendships and memories you made during the Games,” the High Commissioner added.

Montgomery said Team Nigeria’s performance further demonstrated the country’s global sporting stature and its potential to achieve even greater success.

“Team Nigeria showed its global stature once again at the Glasgow Games with all the medals it won, and we have no doubt that Nigeria has the potential to do even more.

“From the High Commission here in Abuja, we are even more enthused to collaborate and partner with the National Sports Commission in every positive way to further support the ongoing transformation of Nigerian sports,” he stated.

In his remarks, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Shehu Dikko, expressed appreciation to the British High Commission for its support to Team Nigeria in the build-up to and during the Games.

Dikko particularly acknowledged the Commission’s assistance with the prompt issuance of visas, as well as other diplomatic support provided to the athletes, officials and supporters.

“We commend Glasgow and the people of Scotland for being excellent hosts. The reception further demonstrated the enduring friendship and growing collaboration between the governments and peoples of Nigeria and the United Kingdom,” he said.

According to Dikko, the Games were highly successful for Team Nigeria, which won 10 gold medals and finished seventh overall.

“Out of the 22 gold medals won by the African continent, 10 were won by Nigeria. Nigeria also set three of the six world records established at the Games,” he said.

He noted that the Glasgow Games provided Nigerian athletes with an important international platform to test themselves against some of the world’s best competitors.

“Glasgow provided a valuable international platform for our athletes to test themselves with some of the world’s best athletes and constituted an important stage for our preparations for future Games, especially the Olympics,” Dikko stated.

He said the team’s achievements were evidence of the progress being recorded in Nigerian sports, attributing the development to the transformational reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Dikko also used the occasion to seek the support of the British High Commission for Nigeria’s bid to host the 2034 Commonwealth Games.