The duo of Lucy Ejike and Ibrahim Olaitan gave Team Nigeria a lot to cheer on Saturday when they both clinched Bronze medals in Powerlifting.

Ejike, who is the captain of Team Nigeria had only one legal lift which was her first, her subsequent lifts were disqualified. Her enthusiasm ensured a first lift of 130kg that edged out most of her opponents. The second and third attempts to lift 135kg failed. If she had pushed and successfully lifted 132kg in one of her failed attempts she would have won a gold medal.

Olaitan’s medal was in the 67kg category.

These bronze medals by Ejike and Olaitan have increased Nigeria’s medal haul at the Paralympic Games to three, a gold and two bronze medals.

Youth and Sports Development Minster Sunday Dare is sure that Team Nigeria to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo will live up to billings and do the nation proud as games get underway on Tuesday.

Dare said, “Based on condition precedent and the resilience of our special athletes especially when on international assignments, I have no doubt in my mind that these athletes will again make Nigeria proud.

“Their ability to excel and Win medals is in no doubt. They have been consistent. They have trained long and hard.”

The Minister further said that having worked closely with the coaches and technical team of the athletes, he is sure they will give Nigeria their best in the next two weeks while praying and wishing them the best outcomes at their events in Tokyo.

Team Nigeria were the cynosure of all eyes at Tuesday’s opening ceremony of the paralympics games in Tokyo, Japan.

The team filed out in style in their Green and White uniform providing a beautiful setting for the ceremony that had only a handful of people in attendance owing to Covid restrictions.

Chef De Mission of Team Nigeria, the Acting Director of Planning, Monitoring, and Information in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Peter Nelson who spoke with pressmen at the opening ceremony said the paralympic athletes know what is at stake in Tokyo and the aspirations of Nigerians.

“We are so glad that Team Nigeria to this Paralympics Games know what is at stake. They understand the aspirations of all Nigerians here in Tokyo, Japan. We are looking forward to a memorable outing.

“The athletes are in very high spirit ahead of their respective events. The support and prayers of Nigerians is key and the element of luck cannot be ruled out at this level.

“By God grace medals will start to roll in for Team Nigeria as soon as the different events begin,” the soft spoken Nelson concluded.

He is the Commissioner for youth and sports development in Bayelsa state and Caretaker President of the Nigeria wrestling Federation. If you ask his athletes, some address him as president, many as coach, training partner, mentor; almost all as their role model.

As a journalist, aside his official roles, I see him as a dedicated technocrat on the general level; the glue that binds the Nigeria wrestling federation and now sports generally in Bayelsa state. Watching him coach and mentor both coaches and athletes, as I have done on numerous occasions, is a sight to behold.

In his competitive days, he never competed for his home state (Bayelsa state). He competed for Rivers State at the time and won his first gold medal for Borno state. He was employed by the Plateau state sports council in 1990 and competed for Plateau state until his sojourn to Canada in 1994.

Today, I celebrate a devoted sportsman and technocrat who started the wrestling revolution since 2007 when he was recruited by Chief Amos Adamu and Dr Patrick Ekeji to coach the Nigeria national wrestling team.

When asked why his Olympic gold medal was for Canada instead of Nigeria, he said; “I made several attempts to represent Nigeria in 1996 and 1997 but was rebuffed by the Nigerian authorities”. One of the reasons Hon Daniel Igali relocated to Nigeria over a decade ago was to lay the proper foundation to harness medals at the world and Olympic level. As you can see, the dream has started manifesting.

Igali is quick to remind anyone that he does not regret his gold medal for his other country Canada. He feels Canada invested in him and clearly merited to have that gold medal.

I have closely followed/monitored the wrestling team since 2010. At every commonwealth games since Hon Daniel Igali’s involvement in the Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Nigeria has won an average of 3 gold medals; the highest Nigeria had won in all commonwealth games combined before him was one gold medal.

I recall that Nigeria had a Bulgarian wrestling coach – who Igali credits with laying the foundation for Nigeria’s success in Wrestling from 1985 to 2005. However, Nigeria never won any world or Olympic medal within that period.

Between 2009 to 2020 (11 years) under Igali, Nigeria has won 5 world championship medals. When asked how he feels about the progress of wrestling under him, he replies “The athletes could have done better with better funding. We do not have inferior genes” he always reminds me. He feels that inadequate funding of sports has retarded the growth and development of sports in the country. His goal was to start winning medals at the Olympics in 2012.

When asked how he felt about the Silver medal won by Blessing Oborududu at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “A great sense of relief” Igali says.

“We could have won a medal in Rio, five years ago”, he recounts. And “we definitely had plans to win multiple medals in Tokyo, but am really happy and satisfied with the Silver medal”. I have a feeling the gold he won for his adopted country of Canada still haunts him. He told me there was a 70% chance of a gold medal in Tokyo. But I guess that dream has to wait.

How has Igali been able to get his wrestlers to perform at such impressive levels? Well, seeing the lack of infrastructure for wrestling, he decided to Invest in a private training centre for his national team athletes.

For several years, he sunk in over 100 million naira to build a wrestling edifice complete with an 18 room accommodation complex that enables the national wrestling team to have their national camps. He tells me the goal is to fundraise and have that centre stand independent of government, so athletes can train year round.

Igali says he got a grant from the international wrestling federation to equip the wrestling gym. The bayelsa state government, he says has been their biggest supporter apart from the federal government/ ministry of youth and sports.

And yes, he thinks the Nigeria Olympic committee through their Olympic scholarships have been instrumental in the results at this Olympics. He beams with smiles when talking about Sunday Dare, the current minister for youth and sports. HM as he calls him, has been of great support to his team since he became minister about two years ago. According to him, HM “sees the bigger picture”.

No wonder we are seeing superlative results from wrestling.

While coaching the national team, igali contested and won elections to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly in 2011 and served eight years representing Southern Ijaw constituency 3. He is credited with having the most private member bills that was accented into Law in that state.

Governor Douye Diri appointed him as Commisioner of youth and sports Development in bayelsa state August 2020. Within 8 months, Bayelsa state won third place in the National Sports Festival (The first time in their history). The highest gold medals won at any sports festival before he became Commisioner was 38. At the Edo sports festival, Bayelsa won 56 gold medals!

Just two days ago, the two professional football club sides of Bayelsa state (Bayelsa United and Bayelsa Queens) which he supervises, both won the Aiteo Cup, the first time in the history of Nigeria that one state would qualify for the finals in both cups. A Daniel Indeed has come to judgment.

When asked why he thinks Bayelsa has done so well in sports over this period he has been Commisioner: he credits the Governor of the state, the miracle Governor Douye Diri for his support in funding of sports in the state. He gives credit to the Deputy Governor who he calls his ‘direct supervisor’ for his thoroughness and promptness in approving funds.

He also gives credit to his Director of sports, Permanent Secretary, Directors in his ministry, the players who he describes as patriots that are willing to spill their blood for the state. He further credits the coaches, board members and Bayelsans and people of goodwill for the unrivalled support the teams receive.

In all of these, he does not mention his own name. So I asked; what role have you played in this rapid success story? He answers as he always does, that his job is to ensure that people are doing their jobs. That he inspires and motivates, ensures the right players and coaches are recruited and makes sure he gets funds approved for effective utilization for goals to be achieved.

Later today, Daniel Igali and his Protégée, Blessing Oborududu- Olympic silver medallist will arrive Bayelsa to wild jubilation. They will be onboard the first maiden commercial flight to Yenagoa alongside their miracle Governor, Sen. Douye Diri. The Governor who adopted the Nigeria Olympic wrestling team and supported parts of their Olympic preparations; who adopted Blessing Oborududu under the ‘adopt an athlete’ programme would be leading the first ever Olympic medallist in wrestling into Bayelsa on their record breaking first maiden flight. HOW FITTING!

Hon. Daniel Igali, please soak in all the applause and adulation. You deserve it. I pray that the corporate world reaches out to your sport and gives you the needed support. I pray that you continue to inspire and motivate your wards because Paris 2024 is barely three years away.

I celebrate Blessing Oborududu. I celebrate Bayelsa’s miracle Governor, Senator Douye Diri for appointing you as Commissioner of youth and sports. One more time, I celebrate you.

Kuti writes from Ilorin

Here are eight amazing facts about Nigeria’s performances at the Tokyo Olympics. 

1. Nigeria got a bronze medal in long jump, 25 years after Chioma Ajunwa won gold in Atlanta 1996.
2. Nigeria won a silver medal for wrestling, first Olympic medal ever in the history of the sport.   
3. 21-year-old Enoch Adegoke became only the third Nigeria to get to the Finals of the 100 Meters Men event. 
4. Nigeria bagged 2 medals, a silver and a bronze, placing her  68 out of the 205 countries at the Tokyo Olympics and 4th in Africa. 
5. Nigerian Olympians made a record 5 finals at the Tokyo Olympics.
6. Nigerian Olympians set several new personal best PBs records in Athletics

 7. Nigeria reached the final of shot put for the first time in her history.

8. Nigeria performed better at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics when compared with London 2012 Olympics with zero medal and the  Rio 2016 Olympics with one bronze medal.

There is much to hope for the future. As the Minister for Youth and Sports said, “Most of our athletes are young and debutants – experiencing Olympics for the first time. They remain committed patriots who gave their all and I have nothing but pride for their tenacity and commitment to deliver smiles to the faces on Nigerians. We have started building a new generation of Young Nigerian athletes. There is much hope.” #Olympics2020

Team Nigeria on Tuesday had their name in the medal’s table after Ese Brume won Nigeria’s first medal at the ongoing Tokyo2020 Olympics

Brume won bronze after coming third in the Long jump event in the early hours of Tuesday to hand Nigeria her first medal at the 32nd Summer Olympics.

Ese Brume won medal in the women’s long jump, after starting out with a huge 6.97m to lead the field in first couple of attempts 25 years after Chioma Ajumwa.

Mihambo of Germany went home with gold while Reese of USA took the silver medal

Team Nigeria will later today add another medal medal to her cupboard when Blessing Oborududu fights America’s Tamyra Mensah-Stock in the female wrestling final.

The bout will take place by 1:15pm Nigeria Time with Oborududu assured if at least silver irrespective of the outcome of the fight.

The Caretaker Chairman of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation and erstwhile member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Honourable Daniel Igali has declared that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics games could be Team Nigeria’s best chance to be on the multiple podium.

Igali stated that the Wrestling Federation had done enough to put Nigeria wrestlers in the mix for medal(s) at the ongoing Tokyo Olympic games.

“We will continue to do our best, that’s sacrosant . I’m glad that the whole country is getting to know a bit about the work we have been doing”.

The former Olympics gold medallist said Nigerian wrestlers have had the opportunity to exhibit their talents at the Olympics.

“So far, their performance has been commendable and we’re on the brink of jostling for gold medal. There is no undue pressure or distraction from any quarter.The Wrestlers are not under any pressure. I can boldly say the athletes have the full backing of the honourable minister of Youth and Sports, Honourable Sunday Dare who has been very supportive of the team.

He said Blessing Oborududu was the project of Federation since day one of his tenure.

“Blessing Oborududu is ranked no.2 in the world, we discovered her from an inter-house wrestling competition at her High school and had her in the national camp from 2007”

Igali expressed delight with the love Nigerians have displayed to the wrestling team at the Olympics.

“The wrestling team are determined more than ever to continue with their superlative performance and you can see how everyone in Nigeria is anxious to see us do well”. Igali concluded.

In bold move to step up the fight against doping by athletes, the Federal Ministry of Youth and sports Development is to partner with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare, the Nigerian Ambassador to UNESCO, Hajiya Hajo Sani commended the Minister for his innovations and sustained efforts “we want to commend the Ministry for all the youth and sports focused initiatives that’s has been running and yielding results. On our part we will continue to ensure that our sportsmen and women compete clean in all competitions in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and beyond by not taking any substances that violate rules of Sports”

In his response, the Minister said “This meeting is coming at an opportuned time when we are just few days to the commencement of the Tokyo Olympics. I believe your job as Nigerian Ambassador to UNESCO is a choice that is justifiable. In a deliberate way we seek partnerships and collaborations in any organisation that is Youth focused.As a Ministry we will keep availing the youth of our country the benefits that are available. We are barely 8 days to the commencement of Tokyo 2020 Olympics and emphasis has been on the need to have clean sports as we’ve been charging the Athletes to compete fairly and clean without using any banned substances. In another few days we will see over 58 of our athletes in 9 different sports competing with the best from the world in Tokyo. Through the years of preparations, the emphasis has been on making sure we do not violate any of the guidelines provided by the World Anti-Dopping Agency.”

Signed

Media office of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development

The Tokyo Olympic trials will begin on Thursday June 17 with some of Nigeria’s best athletes aiming to either earn tickets that will get them a place in the Tokyo-bound flight or to confirm their qualification after scaling the qualification standard hurdles set by World Athletics for the Games.

The much anticipated championship will witness the best of Nigerian track and field and a celebration of the new board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, led by Chief Tonobock Okowa.

Complete Sports brings you 5 of the best Nigerian athletes who will grace the Day 1 of the Championship on Thursday.

Blessing Okagbare (100m):
Blessing is undoubtedly the greatest sprinter Nigeria has ever seen and she will be the cynosure of all eyes as she attempts to win her eighth 100m title.

Only former African queen of the track, the delectable Mary Onyali has won more (11) and Okagbare will be looking to pull clear of ‘The Bulldozer’ Endurance Ojokolo who dominated the national 100m scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning seven national titles.

The 32 year old Okagbare holds the Nigerian record in the event (10.79) and has broken 11 seconds a staggering 21 times, 19 more than any other Nigerian sprinter.

This term, Okagbare is coming to the trials in superb form after running a personal season’s best of 10.90 seconds last May at the second leg of the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar.

The beautifully built, long striding Sapele-born sprinter has ducked inside 11 seconds three times so far this term and holds the 11.02 seconds championship record she set on her last appearance in the competition in 2016 in Sapele.

Tobi Amusan (100m Hurdles):
Since Glory Alozie retired, Tobi has proved to be her perfect successor and the former will be watching with keen attention as the reigning Commonwealth Games champion attempts to run her first sub 13 seconds race at the championships, break Angela Atede’s 12.63 seconds championships record and Alozie’s 12.44 seconds African record!.

Amusan came close to breaking the African record but for a tailwind that renders her 12.43 seconds run in Florida early this month illegal. Alozie knows it is just a matter of time before the 24 year old breaks her record.

Two years ago at the African Games, Amusan erased from history books Alozie’s 12.74 seconds Games record set 20 years earlier with a first sub 12.70 seconds (12.68) performance in the history of the competition.

This year, Amusan has broken 13 seconds an incredible seven times ( five legal) and the petite hurlder will be eyeing her third in the month of June and eight overall.

Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha (100m):
No home based athletes has run faster in Nigerian than Grace in over two decades!. The 20 year old stormed into national consciosness like a bolt out of the blues when she raced to an 11.09 personal best at the MOC Grand prix in Lagos at the end of March.

That was the fastest time on Nigerian soil in five years and the fastest by a home based athletes in over 20 years.

Grace has won every 100m race in Nigeria since 2020 but she will face her biggest test yet when she lines up against Blessing Okagbare in what local athletics watchers believe will be one of the most exciting 100m races since the late 1990s and early 2000s.

She has become one of the few home based athletes to make the qualification standard for the Olympics right here in Nigeria and the first since Ese Brume jumped 6.83m to qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Grace also set a new 22.79 seconds in the 200m to win the half lap gold at the Edo 2020 National Sports festival.

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put):
Chukwuebuka will be looking to win his first national title since he came into the Nigerian shot put scene in 2018 when he won the shot put and discus throw titles at the Abuja Nigeria Sports Festival.

The 28 year old came into national consciousness in early 2018 when he won a silver medal for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia.

He has gone on to win the African Games gold medal two years ago in Rabat, Morocco and became the first and so far only Nigerian to make the last eight at World Athletics’ flagship event, the World Athletics Championships.

Annette Echikunwoke (Hammer Throw):
During his inauguration of the Tonobock Okowa led board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Sports Minister Sunday Dare says ‘this is a new dawn for Nigerian athletics’.

The Minister is right. While we are having a new seed replacing the rotten one sowed by Solomon Dalung in 2017, in far away United States of America, Annette has been busy rewriting the Nigerian hammer history with a series of throw of 70m.

No Nigerian hammer thrower has ever hit the 70m mark but Annette has done it not just once but five times this season. He has now set the Nigerian record multiple times this season with the 75.49m she threw last May at the USATF Throws Fest in Tucson, Arizona the new National record.

Annette also made history as the first Nigerian woman to qualify for the Olympics in the event.

According to the roadmap, the final stage of local camping will commence from May-15th- July 23rd in Bayelsa, Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt. Track and Field National Olympics Trials takes place June 17- 19th, African Athletics Championship from June 22- 26th, 2021.

The last phase of the camping will be in Kisarazu from July 3- 23rd, while the 1st batch of athletes will enter the Games Village from August 8th.

Nigeria will present about 80 athletes in 10 Sports at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Wrestling, Judo, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Badminton, Male and Female Basketball are some of the events Nigeria has qualified. Others are Track and Field, Weightlifting and Rowing, Canoeing and Sailing.

Nigeria decided to narrow down her participation to sports where she has competitive advantage in winning medals.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare has repeatedly maintained that Team Nigeria will improve on her performance of the last two Olympics, where she won only two bronze in Football and Track and Field.

Signed

Media office of the Honourable Minister of Youth and sports Development.