Windhoek: The Chief Executive Officer of the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC), Anri Parker, says Team Namibia remains optimistic about increasing its athlete contingent for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. According to Namibia Press Agency, the 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 02 August 2026. The event will feature a 10-sport code programme across four main venues, following the withdrawal of Victoria as host. Glasgow subsequently stepped in to deliver what organisers have described as a sustainable and cost-effective Games. In an interview with Nampa, Parker said the scaled-down nature of this year's Games has significantly reduced the number of sporting codes on offer, but Team Namibia is targeting representation in athletics, swimming, gymnastics, boxing, and lawn bowls. 'Several of the disciplines in which we traditionally perform strongly or have medal contenders, such as cycling, triathlon and the marathon, are unfortunately not included in this y ear's programme,' she said while adding that they are aiming to take a team of around 20 athletes (10 men and 10 women), supported by medical staff, coaches and team managers. Despite the ambition to send a 20-member squad, Parker added that, to date, only one sporting code (lawn bowls) has secured qualification. 'The qualification criteria are extremely demanding, but we remain confident that our athletes will meet the required standards. Athletics meetings begin in April, so we still have time to ensure our athletes are in peak condition. Our boxers will travel to Thailand in March, and they are also expected to compete in further qualifiers in Brazil and China. Meanwhile, track and field athletes will participate in South Africa and African championships across various disciplines in an effort to secure Commonwealth Games places,' Parker said. Parker noted that boxing has historically been a strong medal-winning discipline for Namibia at the Commonwealth Games. However, she highlighted lawn bowls as one of the country's most promising prospects for 2026. 'Boxing has delivered many medals for Namibia over the years. That said, one of our strongest medal hopes this time could be our lawn bowls team. Both our men's and women's teams are currently ranked second in Africa, and our top female player defeated the world number one last year. We are therefore extremely optimistic about their prospects,' she said. She added that athletics, gymnastics, and swimming should not be underestimated, expressing confidence that athletes in those disciplines will meet the qualification deadlines and secure places at the Games. Qualification for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games runs from 01 June 2025 until May or June 2026, depending on the sport code.