Okon withdraws from Commonwealth Games

Nigerian sprinter Israel Okon will not compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after sustaining a hamstring injury. The 19-year-old announced his withdrawal on Monday, just two days before the men's 200m event was scheduled to begin, marking a significant setback for Team Nigeria's athletics squad.

Okon was also expected to be a key contributor to the men's 4x100m relay team, where his absence will necessitate adjustments to the squad's plans. The Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the coaching staff will now need to reconfigure their relay selection strategy, with athletes like Kayinsola Ajayi, Fakorede Adekalu, Udodi Onwuzurike, Alaba Akintola, and Favour Ashe being considered.

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First and foremost, I thank God Almighty for His grace and blessings. I’m truly grateful to have achieved my first sub-10 in the 100m and, after three years of running 20.87s in the 200m, I finally broke the 20-second barrier. Unfortunately, I won’t be competing at the Commonwealth Games due to a hamstring injury, but I’m focused on my recovery and coming back stronger next season.

Despite the disappointment of missing the Commonwealth Games, Okon expressed gratitude for his performance this season, which he described as a breakthrough. "First and foremost, I thank God Almighty for His grace and blessings. I’m truly grateful to have achieved my first sub-10 in the 100m and, after three years of running 20.87s in the 200m, I finally broke the 20-second barrier," he stated. "Unfortunately, I won’t be competing at the Commonwealth Games due to a hamstring injury, but I’m focused on my recovery and coming back stronger next season."

Okon achieved a personal best of 9.91 seconds in the 100m in May 2026, followed by another sub-10-second performance of 9.99 seconds earlier this year. He also broke the 20-second barrier in the 200m, clocking a personal best of 19.94 seconds. Okon, who won the national 100m title in 2025, wished his teammates well, urging them to "Go make history and make Nigeria proud."

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Wishing all my friends and Team Nigeria the very best. Go make history and make Nigeria proud.