Cameroon will compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a reduced delegation of 21 athletes after the withdrawal of its three selected boxers. With competition running through August 2, the country’s medal hopes will now rest primarily on athletics, judo, weightlifting and parasports.

The delegation was originally expected to include 24 athletes, but the boxing team withdrew because of internal issues within the Cameroon Boxing Federation, according to the Cameroon Tribune. The newspaper did not identify the athletes involved or specify the nature of the dispute.

The withdrawals leave Cameroon competing in four main disciplines: athletics and para athletics, judo, weightlifting and para powerlifting. Boxing had initially been one of the six sports included in the country’s preparations for the Games.

Weightlifting Leads Medal Prospects

Weightlifting is expected to provide Cameroon’s best chance of reaching the podium, continuing a tradition of strong performances at the Commonwealth Games. Among the country’s leading contenders is Junior Periclex Ngadja Nyabeyeu, who won gold in the men’s under-109 kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. His return gives Cameroon one of its strongest hopes of adding another medal in Glasgow.

Daniel Onana Tanga is also part of Cameroon’s weightlifting team. The country’s official delegation also includes competitors in judo, athletics, para athletics and para powerlifting.

Competition is expected to be particularly intense this year as the Glasgow 2026 program features fewer sports than previous editions. About 3,000 athletes from 74 nations and territories are competing across 10 sports for 215 medals. The Games also include the largest parasport program in Commonwealth Games history.

Eseme to Lead Athletics Team

In athletics, Cameroon will look to sprinter Emmanuel Eseme in the men’s 100 meters, one of the Games’ most competitive events, featuring athletes from several of the Commonwealth’s top sprinting nations.

Herverge Etame Kolle is among Cameroon’s leading female athletes. Both were scheduled to arrive in Glasgow shortly before the athletics competition, which runs from July 27 through August 1. In judo, attention will focus on Richelle Anita Soppi Mbella. Cameroon will also compete in integrated para athletics and para powerlifting events, which are a central part of this year’s Games.

The absence of boxing, traditionally one of Cameroon’s medal-producing sports, places even greater importance on performances in the remaining disciplines.

A Commonwealth Games Record Dating Back to 1998

Cameroon joined the Commonwealth in 1995 and made its Commonwealth Games debut in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, winning six medals. The country’s best performance came four years later in Manchester, where it claimed 18 medals, including nine gold. Cameroon has competed in every edition of the Games since then.

At the 2022 Games in Birmingham, Junior Periclex Ngadja Nyabeyeu won weightlifting gold, while Cameroon also earned medals in several other sports. However, Cameroonian sources and Commonwealth Sport do not always report the same historical medal totals, making it difficult to confirm some figures cited in national communications.

Government Represented at Opening Ceremony

The 23rd Commonwealth Games officially opened in Glasgow on July 23 and will run through August 2. Félix Mbayu, Cameroon’s Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in charge of Relations with the Commonwealth, represented the government at the opening ceremony held at the OVO Hydro arena.

Ultimately, Cameroon’s results will depend on whether its 21 athletes can convert the country’s remaining medal opportunities into podium finishes. Weightlifting appears to offer the strongest prospects, while athletics, judo and parasports provide additional chances to improve Cameroon’s record at the Commonwealth Games.

Source: Business in Cameroon