As accolades continue falling on Nigerian female weightlifter, Ruth Asuquo Nyong for her silver medal achievement on Sunday at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, National Sports Commission (NSC) director-general, Honourable Bukola Olopade said it is a source of inspiration for the country’s track and field contingent.
Sports247 reports that, with the Glasgow 2026 athletics events set to begin on Monday, Olopade reckoned that Nyong has set the path to follow by surpassing all expectations with her silver medal, which should motivate equally good results on the tracks.
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Olopade pointed out that the initial projection for Nyong was a bronze medal, hence his delight with her runner-up spot in the women’s 48kg class, which he believes set the stage for better things to come for Team Nigeria.
“So far, so good,” said the man fondly called ‘DG’ by his admirers, “If the projections seen on the early board are anything to go by, I believe we are on track.
“The medal expectation from Ruth was bronze, but she won silver. That shows an upward projection and a progression, not a downward swing.
“I was with the athletics team in the night, and their spirit is very high. We are hoping to get seven or eight gold medals from them. Beyond all this, I am very proud of the young men and wonen.”
Olopade went on to reflect on the days he has spent as a leader in Nigeria’s sports sector and thanked all the people who have worked together with him towards making his tenure successful so far, while also expressing optimism for better glory to come in Glasgow.
He added humbly, “I am happy with all the athletes and their officials that I’ve had the opportunity to work with for the last one and half years.
“It’s so obvious that, as Nigerians, we have the wherewithal to stand firm and be counted. I’m happy here that many people are saying, for the first time in many years, they see an identity in our sports structure.
“That alone is a gold medal for us. It’s something tangible that we should also add to our collection of gold and silver medals so far achieved here.”
 director-general, Honourable Bukola Olopade said it is a source of inspiration for the country's track and field contingent.){kind=link}