Nigeria’s quest to be the best performing African nation at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games begins this morning with Augustina Ikem Nwaokolo, competing in the women’s 167kg weightlifting event.

Nwaokolo is one of the favourites to win the gold in the event. But she must have to fight off stiff opposition from India’s Sandhy Deviatom, Portia Vries of South African Vivian Lee of Australia and Kathleen Hare of Papau New Guinea.

Speaking on her chances, Nwaokolo said that she will do her best, adding that she was well prepared for the challenge, despite the strong opposition.

Later in the day, Nigerian table tennis players will also be on the go, when the table tennis team events serves off.

In the men’s category, a total of 26 teams have been drawn into six groups, with Singapore, India, England, Nigeria, Australia and Canada as top seeds in each group.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout stage.
Defending champion India has a relatively straightforward group, having drawn Guyana, Vanuatu and Dominica. Top seed Singapore is expected to cruise through, having been pooled with Sri Lanka, Guernsey and the Maldives.

The British derby in Group 3 between England and Wales, which are expected to challenge for the top spot, will be one of the highlights of the first round.

In the women’s competition, sixteen teams were drawn into four groups, with Singapore, England, Australia and India the top seeds. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals.

As with the men’s competition, Guernsey drew the short straw by being pooled with overwhelming favourites Singapore. Canada, which took Bronze in the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, is in the same group and will be hard pressed to reach the podium.Singapore’s five players are among the world’s top 25 and they are expected to rotate considerably in the course of competition.

The youngest player on the Singapore side, 21-year_old YU Meng Yu (SIN), will be likely to get plenty of playing time in the first round.

Melbourne 2006 Bronze medallists India will be wary of the threat posed by Group 4 rival New Zealand, whose line-up includes the experienced Karen LI, Annie YANG and SUN Yang .