Glasgow 2026 : Don’t judge Team Nigeria without context, Igali warns as gold rush continues
World and Olympic wrestling champion Daniel Igali has praised Team Nigeria’s impressive performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, urging Nigerians to celebrate the athletes’ achievements while recognising the challenges posed by the absence of wrestling from the competition.
Nigeria has already secured nine gold medals at the Games, and Igali described the feat as “an achievement worthy of celebration,” saying every medal represents years of dedication, sacrifice and relentless hard work behind the scenes.
“The first thing I want to say is congratulations,” Igali said. “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.”
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports also commended the leadership of the National Sports Commission (NSC), crediting its renewed direction for the positive atmosphere surrounding Nigerian sports.
According to Igali, the NSC leadership under Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director General Honourable Bukola Olopade has injected fresh purpose into the nation’s sporting system 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.
While acknowledging pre-Games predictions that Nigeria could win between 16 and 20 gold medals, Igali maintained that ambition should be encouraged but insisted that the team’s performance must be assessed within the proper context.
He noted that Team Nigeria travelled with fewer athletes and competed in only 10 sports, unlike previous editions, with wrestling, traditionally one of Nigeria’s strongest medal-winning events, not included in the Games 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 stated.
Drawing on an old proverb, Igali said performance should be judged based on 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 legend urged Nigerians to continue supporting the athletes regardless of the final medal tally, stressing that every competitor deserves recognition for the sacrifices made in representing the country.
He added that surpassing 16 gold medals would be worthy of celebration, but matching Nigeria’s previous Commonwealth Games gold medal tally despite competing in fewer sports would also amount to 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 concluded.
