Team Nigeria’s first batch of 70 athletes and coaches for the XXI Commonwealth Games left Abuja at about 6pm on Saturday aboard Emirates Airline for the Gold Coast, Australia as the Games Village formally opened for business yesterday.
46 athletes in athletics, para-athletics, table tennis, para – table tennis, basketball, gymnastics, para powerlifting, weightlifting, boxing and 17 coaches, loaders and helpers as well as seven medical personnel made the trip to the Games.
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 as soon as their visas are issued while the wrestling team comprising 12 wrestlers and four coaches will depart on April 2, 2018.
The XXI Commonwealth Games is scheduled to start on April 4 and run through April 15,  2018 in Gold Coast, Australia with 71 commonwealth countries taking part in the Games.Â
