Olopade: Weightlifting, Wrestling, Athletics to Lead NSC's High-Performance Investment

Olopade: Weightlifting, Wrestling, Athletics to Lead NSC's High-Performance Investment

By Tolulope Oguntimehin

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has announced that the Commission will intensify investment in sports where Nigeria has consistently demonstrated a competitive edge as part of a long-term strategy to improve the country's medal prospects at major international competitions.

Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Olopade said the Commission remains focused on building a sustainable high-performance sports system despite Team Nigeria falling short of some of its medal projections.

Nigeria currently occupies fifth position on the medals table, a performance achieved despite the reduced number of sports featured at this year's Commonwealth Games.

According to the NSC Director-General, the Games have provided several encouraging signs, particularly the emergence of promising young athletes and the resilience displayed by Team Nigeria throughout the competition.

"We remain committed to investing in our athletes and improving their welfare. Although our medal projections may not have been fully achieved, we have seen many positives from these Games. Young athletes like Miracle Ezechukwu have gained valuable international exposure, and that is a major investment in the future," Olopade said.

He explained that the Commission's medal expectations were affected by a combination of unforeseen circumstances, including below-par performances in some track events and injuries to key athletes.

"These are some of the realities of elite sports. We also had situations beyond our control, such as Blessing Ogundiran's withdrawal due to a ruptured appendix and Rosemary Chukwuma's hamstring injury. Incidents like these inevitably affected our projections, but they are part of international competition," he added.

Olopade said the experience in Glasgow has reinforced the Commission's resolve to concentrate resources on sports that have consistently produced medals for Nigeria.

"One major lesson from these Games is that we must invest more in sports where we have a comparative advantage. Weightlifting, wrestling—which was not included at these Games—athletics and para sports have consistently delivered medals for Nigeria. Going forward, these will receive greater attention and investment, just as Australia has strategically invested in swimming over the years. We must build on our strengths if we want to remain competitive on the global stage," he said.

The NSC Director-General reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to strengthening Nigeria's high-performance sports programme through sustained investment in athletes, coaching, sports science and development pathways, with the objective of producing world-class competitors and ensuring consistent podium finishes at future international championships.