Late into the first day of competition, Nigeria have made a flying start at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, surging into second position on the medals table after collecting three gold and three silver medals.

With six medals already secured, Team Nigeria trail only perennial Commonwealth Games powerhouse Australia, who lead the standings with six gold, two silver and five bronze medals for a total haul of 13.

But it is Nigeria’s position above hosts Scotland and traditional sporting giants England that provides an early eye-catching feature of the medals table.

Nigeria’s three gold medals are already more than the two won by Scotland and three times England’s current haul of one.

The hosts occupy third position with two gold and two silver medals, while England, despite having collected eight medals overall, sit fourth because only one of those medals is gold.

England have so far won one gold, four silver and three bronze medals.

That leaves Nigeria as not only the highest-ranked African nation at the Games but also the only country apart from Australia to have won at least three gold medals at this stage of competition.

South Africa, the other African country currently on the table, have one gold and two bronze medals and occupy sixth position, behind Canada, who have an identical medal breakdown.

Nigeria’s six medals have an unusual complexion — every one of them is either gold or silver. Team Nigeria are yet to win a bronze medal.

The early returns offer encouraging signs for the Nigerian contingent as competition gathers pace in Glasgow, with several more medal opportunities still to come.

New Zealand are seventh with two silver medals, while Wales have a solitary silver. India and Malaysia complete the current top 10 with one bronze medal apiece.

Latest Commonwealth Games medals table

For Team Nigeria, the challenge now is to sustain the momentum.

Australia may have opened a gap at the summit, but Nigeria’s three-gold start has put the green-and-white contingent firmly among the early headline-makers in Glasgow.

And with more Nigerian medal hopefuls still to compete, the battle for places near the top of the table is far from settled.

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Team Nigeria have opened their medal account at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Paralympian Roland Ezuruike claiming silver in the men’s lightweight Group A Para Powerlifting event and earning an immediate cash reward under the National Sports Commission’s athlete incentive programme.

According to a press release by the sports commission, it was a day of double celebration for Nigeria as the men’s 3×3 basketball team also entered the history books by recording the country’s first-ever victory in the event at the Commonwealth Games.

Ezuruike accumulated 153.9 points to secure Nigeria’s first medal of the Games, but the experienced powerlifter came tantalisingly close to turning silver into gold.

On his final attempt, the Nigerian went for a Games Record lift of 190kg but narrowly failed to complete it, leaving him with a well-earned second-place finish.

His medal immediately triggered a financial reward under the National Sports Commission’s performance-based incentive scheme.

According to the Commission, Ezuruike received an instant $2,000 reward for his silver medal, while the performance also qualifies him for an additional $2,000 bonus, taking his total reward to $4,000.

The NSC said the incentive was part of its enhanced athlete welfare programme designed to reward excellence and provide additional motivation for Nigerian competitors chasing podium finishes in Glasgow.

While Ezuruike was putting Nigeria on the medals table, the country was also breaking new ground on the basketball court.

Nigeria’s men defeated the Cayman Islands 21-17 to register the nation’s first 3×3 basketball victory in Commonwealth Games history.

Esosa Okundaye and Ikechukwu “Ike” Nwamu spearheaded the scoring with six points apiece as Nigeria showed composure in a closely fought encounter to secure the landmark win.

Nwamu attributed the breakthrough to months of preparation, including valuable training sessions with the Netherlands national team, winners of the men’s 3×3 basketball gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“It was a great match. We fought hard and our preparations paid off as we won Nigeria’s first game in 3×3 basketball at the Commonwealth Games,” Nwamu said.

“We are now getting ready for the next two games. Playing for Nigeria means a lot to me, and every opportunity I have to represent my country means everything.

“We thank the National Sports Commission for allowing us to prepare properly. We trained with the Netherlands national team, who won the gold medal in 3×3 basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and that preparation really helped us.”

Nigeria will next face Australia before rounding off their group campaign against New Zealand as they chase qualification for the knockout rounds.

There was less cheer in the boxing ring, where Ayomide Foly Hassan bowed out in the Round of 32 following a closely contested bout against Refiloe Thai.

Hassan believed he had done enough to progress, but the judges awarded the contest to his opponent.

Attention now turns to another potentially productive session for Team Nigeria, with several medal prospects scheduled for action in para powerlifting and boxing.

Esther Oyema and Esther Nworgu will compete in the women’s lightweight para powerlifting events, while reigning world champion Rita Ferdinand and multiple Paralympic and Commonwealth Games champion Folashade Oluwafemiayo will spearhead Nigeria’s challenge in the women’s heavyweight categories.

Rilwan Idris will also fly Nigeria’s flag in the men’s heavyweight division.

In boxing, Abdulramon Abdulwahab will enter the ring in the men’s 68kg category as Team Nigeria seek to build on Ezuruike’s silver and add more medals to their Glasgow 2026 haul.

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The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games spectacularly burst into life on Thursday, with King Charles III and Queen Camilla making a dramatic entrance into The Hydro aboard Doctor Who’s famous TARDIS.

TARDIS is a fictional time machine and spacecraft from the British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

TARDIS, Sports Village Square can explain, is an acronym for Time And Relative Dimension In Space. On the outside, it resembles a 1960s British police telephone box, but it is famously “bigger on the inside,” containing an infinitely large, advanced interior. 

The imaginative royal arrival provided one of the defining moments of an Opening Ceremony celebrating Scotland’s heritage, Glasgow’s industrial past, its people, music and culture, as the Commonwealth Games returned to the city just 12 years after the 2014 edition.

The ceremony opened with a huge curved LED screen, measuring 50 metres wide, showing the TARDIS travelling around Scotland and stopping at landmarks including Loch Ness, the Kelpies and Edinburgh Castle.

Scottish cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy and actor Greg McHugh were shown at the controls, with Sylvester McCoy, who played the Seventh Doctor in Doctor Who, joining the adventure.

The TARDIS eventually arrived at Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family’s Scottish residence, where Hoy jokingly volunteered to collect the royal guests.

Moments later, the famous blue police box appeared to materialise on stage inside The Hydro.

Hoy emerged first before Queen Camilla and King Charles III followed to huge cheers from the crowd, providing a memorable start to the Games.

The ceremony also broke with Commonwealth Games tradition by having athletes enter the arena before the main show unfolded.

Competitors from the 74 participating nations and territories paraded around a giant living garden to an electro-folk soundtrack, carrying specially decorated batons that eventually transformed the garden into a colourful artwork.

Team Scotland received one of the loudest receptions of the night when the host nation’s athletes entered wearing tartan kilts.

There was also a birthday to remember for Team Wales flagbearer Rosie Eccles, the Birmingham 2022 women’s boxing gold medallist, who described leading her country into the arena as a huge honour.

“It’s my birthday today, and they surprised me yesterday with a cake and then asked me if I’d be flagbearer,” Eccles said. “People don’t shock me much, but I was so honoured.”

The celebration of Scotland continued with an appearance by the Loch Ness Monster, “Nessie”, who was lured into the arena by actor Sam Heughan as pipers and drummers performed Flower of Scotland.

The ceremony told the story of Glasgow over the course of a symbolic day in the city, including a musical flash mob beneath the famous clock at Glasgow Central Station.

There were also tributes to generations of workers who built Glasgow’s industries, with dancers appearing to weave a giant piece of fabric carrying the city’s “People Make Glasgow” message in Gaelic.

Glasgow 2026 Chief Marketing and Ceremonies Officer Louisa Mahon described the production as a “love letter to Glasgow”.

“We’ve created a love letter to Glasgow — from our amazing industrial heritage through to the really creative, people-fuelled, passionate city that we are now,” she said.

The celebrations later shifted towards Glasgow’s renowned nightlife, with The Hydro transformed into a disco featuring sparkling unicorns and dancing stars.

Singer Callum Beattie helped turn the arena into a giant party with Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, as members of Team Scotland joined the celebrations from their seats.

Scotland is staging the Commonwealth Games for the fourth time, while Glasgow is hosting for the second time following the successful 2014 Games.

Glasgow 2026 Chairman George Black praised the city for stepping forward when uncertainty had surrounded the future of the Games.

“When the future of these Games was uncertain, Glasgow didn’t ask, ‘Can we?’. We asked, ‘When do we get started?’” Black told the crowd.

“Because that’s what we do. We roll up our sleeves and, together, make extraordinary things happen.”

Organisers estimated that the ceremony was watched by a worldwide audience of about 750 million people.

With the TARDIS parked, the music fading and the celebrations complete, attention now turns to the sporting action as Glasgow begins another chapter in its Commonwealth Games history.

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