Seventy athletes and coach, representing the first batch of Nigeria’s contingents for the XXI Commonwealth Games, departed the country at the weekend.
The athletes headed for the Games aboard Emirates Airline.
Forty-six athletes in athletics, para-athletics, table tennis, para-table tennis, basketball, gymnastics, para powerlifting, weightlifting, boxing and seventeen coaches, loaders and helpers as well as seven medical personnel made the trip.
The athletes were in high spirit at the time of departure as all allowances were paid to them. Each athlete received N15,000 per day for 21 days being the period of the last phase of camping.
They were also given specific competition kit and equipment.
The second batch of nine athletes and four coaches will leave this week while the wrestling team comprising 12 wrestlers and four coaches will depart on April 2, 2018.
The XXI Commonwealth Games starts from April 4 to 15, 2018 in Gold Coast Australia with 71 Commonwealth teams taking part in the Games
