The 22nd Commonwealth Games begin in Birmingham today with more than 5,000 athletes from 72 nations, including Nigeria, competing.

Backed by £778 million of public funding, including £594 million from central government, Birmingham 2022 is the most significant investment in a major sporting event since the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Birmingham 2022 will be the quickest delivered Commonwealth Games in history – ready in just four and a half years instead of the usual seven. It also boasts the biggest para-sport programme in Commonwealth Games history and more medals for women than men for the first time at a major multi-sport event.

Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Banji Oladapo, who was delighted with the reception given Nigeria, said the country’s athletes would fight for all medals on offer in disciplines they are competing in.

Nigeria’s green white green flag was hoisted in the Athletes’ Village yesterday with a large enthusiastic crowd of officials and athletes dancing rancorously as Kizz Daniel’s street-anthem Buga song boomed through the loud speakers.

Team Nigeria is being represented by 127 athletes in 17 disciplines at the Games England is hosting for the third time with the most recent the Glasgow 2014 edition.

World champion and record holder in the 100m women’s hurdles, Tobi Amusan, is the defending champion in the women’s sprint hurdle. Other star athletes who are expected to sparkle for Team Nigeria include Blessing Oborududu who won gold at the last Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in the women’s-68kg category; Odunayo Adekuoroye will also be defending her gold medal in the women’s wrestling -57kg category, just as Aminat Adeniyi who won gold in the -62kg event. The country’s Table Tennis contingent is led by Aruna Quadri with Olajide Omotayo among other top stars expected to win medals from the ping pong events.

Nigeria’s Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare, congratulated some of the athletes who were part of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America.

He also urged them to demonstrate the same level of zeal and commitment seen in Oregon, tasking them to stay disciplined and focused

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