Featured

Tokyo 2020: Ministry Strategizes for Athletes’ Success

Published

6 years ago

December 9, 2019

…targets 11 Sports

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has taken steps to further consolidate the chances of athletes and teams at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by prioritizing 11 sports and six para-sports for Nigeria’s qualifying pathway to the Games.

A Ministerial Advisory Committee on Tokyo 2020 Games (MACT), which set this priority, also recommended an early start to pre-games camping towards ensuring maximum success.

The Ministerial Advisory Committee on Tokyo 2020 Games, chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Oulsola Adesola, proposed 120 days of camping as it agreed to fast track the process of securing the services of highly skilled technical personnel to complement local coaches.

Mr. Adesola revealed that “The recommendations of the inaugural meeting of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Tokyo 2020 Games (MACT 2020 held on Wednesday, December 9, 2019 was submitted and approved by the Honourable Minister of Youth & Sports Development for implementation. Some of the specific recommendations approved are:-

i) That the under listed 11 Sports for the Olympic and 5 Sports for the Paralympic have been prioritized for the qualifying pathway:

1) Athletics 7) Rowing 1. Para Athletics

2) Badminton 8) Table Tennis 2. Para Canoeing

3) Basketball 9) Taekwondo 3. Para Powerlifting

4) Boxing 10) Weightlifting 4. Para Rowing

5) Canoeing 11) Wrestling 5. Para Table Tennis

6) Gymnastics

ii) That the final list of qualified athletes and sports would be confirmed after the completion of the two year qualification tournaments cycle in June 2020;

iii) Acknowledged the qualification of the athletes listed below as at December 4, 2019:

OLYMPIC GAMES

a) Athletics:
Ese Brume (Women’s Long Jump) F
Amusan Tobi (Women’s 100m Hurdles) F
Blessing Okagbare (100m/200m) F
Divine Oduduru (100m) M
Raymond Okevwo (100m) M
Usheorise Itshekiri (100m) M
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put) M
Emmanuel Bamidele (400m) M
b) Basketball
Male Team (D’ Tigers) M
c) Canoeing
Bello Ayomide (Women’s Canoe Kayak) F
d) Rowing
Toko Esther (Women’s Single Sculls) F
e) Wrestling:
Adekuoroye Odunayo (57kg WW) F

PARALYMPIC GAMES

a)Powerlifting

Female Male

Omolayo Bose 1. Ibrahim Abdulaziz
Orji Precious 2. Dauda Ibrahim
Tijani Latifat 3. Kehinde Paul
Oluwafemiayo Folasade 4. Innocent Nnamdi
Okpala Pauline 5. Roland Ezuruike
Ibrahim Mujinat 6. Yakubu Adesokan
Obiji Lovelyn
Ejike Lucy

b) Para Rowing
Ijeoma Kingsley (Men’s Singles Sculls) M”

The Committee has meanwhile ruled that no Nigerian Athletes would feature in the Games with Wild Card qualification status.

This development comes as the ministry will this week launch its Adopt an Athlete Campaign, which will raise direct funds for each athlete or team for training, support for trials, coaching, medicals, insurance, and others.

Share on Facebook

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.

Share on Facebook