Sports

Paris 2024: We Want Team Nigeria To Surpass 1996 record-House Committee On Sports

Published

2 years ago

June 7, 2024

Joel Ajayi

The House Committee on Sports has called on the Nigerian Olympic Committee NoC to step up athletes’ preparations to bring a superlative outing in the forthcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris and surpass the Atlanta 1996 feat.

Speaking on Thursday at the National Assembly complex when the Nigerian Olympics Committee appeared before the committee, the House Committee Chairman Hon. Ekene Adam expressed that the reason for the invitation is to know how prepared and how ready the NOC is regarding the forthcoming 2024 Olympics Paris.

“We invited the NOC to know the level of preparedness for the Olympic Games if there is any challenge they are facing, and how we can help them solve it so that Nigerian athletes will have total focus when competing for medals. We want to do everything possible to make sure that Nigeria records the best performance in France.

“We have identified funding as a major challenge and one of the ways to solve the problem is to sponsor a bill where the budget for preparations of athletes for Olympic Games will be captured each year.

“The funds will then be disbursed to the Sports Federations by the Ministry to ease their tasks when chasing qualification tickets in different international competitions across the world.”

However, the Chairman House Committee on Sports, Hon Ekene Adams along with the members of the Committee proposed that a bill be sponsored where funds will be captured in the annual budget of the Sports Ministry and distributed to different Sports Federations for better preparations of Nigerian athletes.

In his comment, the President of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) Engineer Habu Gummel revealed that the committee is not relenting in its effort to ensure team Nigeria performs well come August in Paris.

According to him, we intend to go to Paris and break the jinx of 1996 with the support of everyone.

However, he identified a lack of funds as a major setback why some of the athletes struggle to compete with others in the international championship.

When the House committee asked the NOC if they have received any funds from the ministry regards Preparation for the Paris 2024 Engr. Gumel replied: “we are yet to receive a dime from the sports ministry”

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Sports

29 Days To AACT 2026: IBB Club Renewal Heralds Nigeria’s African Golf Showcase

Published

3 hours ago

October 4, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

With 29 days to the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT), Nigeria is stepping up preparations to host the continental women’s team golf championship, with the extensive rehabilitation of the IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja providing a major boost to the country’s readiness.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja Director of Communication AACT 2026, Kayode Adeniyi said the Club’s Board of Trustees has assured that the facility will be fully prepared to welcome golfers, officials and delegates from across Africa when the championship tees off on November 2.

Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, CFR, gave the assurance after inspecting ongoing rehabilitation works at the Club, expressing satisfaction with the progress recorded so far.

The IBB International Golf and Country Club has undergone extensive rehabilitation following its closure to regular golfing activities for more than a year. The intervention has focused on the golf course, selected holes, the clubhouse and other key facilities required to provide a befitting venue for the continental championship.

Justice Dongban-Mensem expressed confidence that the rehabilitation programme would be completed in time for the AACT, further reassuring stakeholders that the Club would be ready to host Africa’s leading female golfers.

Chairman of the Club’s Interim Management Committee, Peter Deshi, also expressed optimism over the progress of work, with regular golfing activities expected to resume ahead of the championship.

For the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN), the readiness of the host venue remains a critical component of the country’s preparations.

President of the Association, Dr. Lami Ahmed, has similarly expressed confidence in Nigeria’s preparations to stage a successful championship.

The 2026 AACT is scheduled to take place from November 2 to 7 at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja.

With the countdown now entering its final month, the rehabilitation of the Club is sending a strong message about Nigeria’s determination to deliver a successful championship and provide a worthy stage for Africa’s finest female golfers.

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