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2020 Olympic Ticket: Egyptian Embassy Denied Nigeria Visa To Have Edge- Orbih

Published

6 years ago

February 24, 2020

….As Federation Set to Petition, Egypt, BWF

Joel Ajayi

The President of Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) Mr. Francis Orbih, has revealed that the Egyptian embassy denied Nigeria’s Badminton players visa to participate at the just concluded All Africa Senior Championships in Cairo, Egypt was a calculated attempt for them
to have an edge for the 2020 Olympic ticket.

To this end, the federation will petition both the Egypt Olympic Committee (EOC) and the Badminton World Federation, (BWF) over the denial and late issuance of visa for Team Nigeria at the recently concluded All Africa Senior Championships in Cairo, Egypt.

BFN president on Thursday in a chat with newsmen in Abuja, that said there was a need to petition EOC over the late and denial of visa for Team Nigeria so as to stop future occurrence, adding that the incident as affected Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020
Olympics in Japan.

According to him, it was a terrible experience for the federation team

and the entire Nigerian.

“Egyptian embassy purposely denied us visa because they don’t want us to play them, they know they can’t beat Nigeria, we went to morocco last year it took us two days to get our Visa, and they knew what they do.

“And we are not going to fold our hands, we will write a protest letter to petition the Badminton World Federation and we copy the IOC and the African body because the damage has been done already, but we don’t want it to be swept under the carpet, because some many people
have protested that the Arab countries always do that to other countries’’ he said.

“Already the NOC has written a protest letter to the EOC and copied the badminton world federation and badminton confederation of Africa.”

‘’For BCA in which am a member we are going to suggest on some certain conditions that a country must meet before they can host any international competitions which part of is to give visas to very participating teams’’.

“Two umpires who were given invitations for the games was refused visa until today the Egyptian embassy has not given us reason why they didn’t give us the visas on time after summiting all the requirement ten working days before the events which has fueled suspicion of
deliberate sabotage and foul play by the embassy. This negates all tenets of Fair Play and Sportsmanship’’.

It would be recalled that Team Nigeria played in 3 of the 5 finals at the African championships despite all challenges and frustrations which saw the team missing the Thomas and Uber cup qualifiers (Team event) of the championship.

‘’It was a psychological war fear because the Egyptians knew that Nigeria was a big threat to them that is why we encountered problems in securing visas, that resulted in the Nigerian team failing to qualify for the team event in Thomas & Uber Cups in France ’’ he
added.

Despite this performance, Dorcas Adesokan is still on course to qualify for the Olympics while Anu Opeyori and Godwin Olofua face a more difficult task of qualification.

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Featured

Nigeria’s Historic Bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games: A Call for National and Global Support

Published

1 week ago

September 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria is poised to make history as it seeks to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, a monumental opportunity that promises to transform the nation’s economy, infrastructure, and global standing.

More than a sporting spectacle, the Games would serve as a catalyst for development across multiple sectors, leaving behind a legacy of national pride and sustainable growth.

The benefits of hosting the Games extend far beyond the sports arena. Nigeria stands to gain both empirical and non-empirical advantages, with direct, indirect, and induced impacts that will touch every corner of society. Infrastructural development will take center stage, with new facilities such as indoor sports halls, conference centers, and improved road networks reshaping urban landscapes while strengthening the nation’s capacity to host future international events.

Economic growth is another significant dividend. Over 10,000 jobs are expected to be created, spanning construction, facility management, event planning, and tourism services.

The hospitality industry will undergo major improvements as hotels and resorts are upgraded to meet international standards, while local restaurants, lounges, and tourist attractions will see a surge in patronage from international visitors. Small and medium enterprises, particularly in the transport, finance, and food service sectors, will become some of the greatest beneficiaries, as the Games generate new demand and expand opportunities for local businesses.
The Commonwealth Games will also accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s sports industry.

Investments in training facilities, coaching, and talent development will inspire a new generation of athletes, ensuring long-term benefits that extend beyond 2030, a major focus of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
At the same time, the process of preparing for the Games will create opportunities for Nigerians to learn new crafts, acquire technical skills, and engage in global-standard event management, thereby strengthening human capacity and innovation across industries.

Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission, and Hon. Bukola Olopade, the Director General, have been widely recognized for their tireless and visionary leadership in repositioning Nigeria’s sporting sector.

Their commitment to facilitating infrastructural development and strengthening grassroots sports development has laid the foundation for Nigeria’s bold bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Under their leadership, the NSC is fostering strategic partnerships and driving innovation in sports administration, they have demonstrated the nation’s readiness to stage an event of such global magnitude.

Beyond the tangible gains, the hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games carries profound symbolic value. It would be a moment of unity and pride, a chance for Nigeria to showcase its cultural richness, resilience, and excellence to the world.
As a centenary edition, the Games would stand as a historic milestone not just for the Commonwealth but for Nigeria itself, cementing its place on the global stage as a capable, ambitious, and forward-looking nation.

The gains from hosting the Commonwealth Games can never be undermined or overemphasized. This is Nigeria’s time to step forward and show the world our resilience, and excellence. We call on every Nigerian, across sectors and communities, to support this noble aspiration.

Nigeria’s pursuit of the 2030 Commonwealth Games is a vision for transformation, a blueprint for national development, and a legacy project that will inspire generations to come.

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