As the Olympic Games are set to open in the city of Love Paris on Friday, July 26th, 2024, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) in collaboration with the Sports Ministry have announced two key appointments ahead of the opening.
In a statement released and signed by Tony Nezianya, who is currently the Press Attaché to the team, it has been confirmed that Tobi Amusan of the athletics team will be the Nigerian flag bearer, while Anuoluwapo Opeyori of the badminton team will take on the role of the General Team Captain.
The current decision by the sports ministry reflects the level of hope placed on their shoulders to deliver outstanding performances and win medals for the country.
Tobi Amusan is currently the world champion in the 100m hurdles, the hope of performing brightly in Paris for Nigerian are high which has been necessitated by the country’s decision to elect her as the flag bearer.
In the first quarter of 2024, the outstanding racer Tobi Amusan set a world-leading time of 12.40 seconds (with a 0.9m/s wind), this has shown the level of strength and desire to perform as the athlete heads to the Olympics. She had narrowly won over two-time world champion Danielle Williams of Jamaica, who finished second with a time of 12.46 seconds
Anuoluwapo Opeyori, has been a Nigerian sportsman since 2017, his experience has necessitated the responsibility given to him the teams’ overall caption.
His wealth of experience has been demonstrated over the past years of his career. The 26-year-old has competed and won the African Championships and African Games in the singles event in 2019 and also competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Also, in a hearing news the Honourable Minister of Sports Development John Owan Enoh, has confirmed that that both domestic and foreign camping allowances have been disbursed to the athletes in order to motivate them for the upcoming competition.
“Ensuring our athletes are well-prepared and motivated is a top priority. We are committed to providing all necessary support to help them excel on the global stage,” he said. Speaking further, he applauded the competitors for their level of dedication, “Our athletes have shown incredible dedication and resilience, and we believe they are ready to make the nation proud.”
Nigeria currently has 88 athletes in Paris who will be competing in 12 different spring events, the athletes have also applauded the government for the timely payment of allowances which will further serve as a motivating factor.
Before departing for Paris, the Nigerian government had planned foreign camping for athletes in Saarbrucken, Germany, while the football team camped in Spain. Before the foreign trip, the athletes had had a different round domestic training to test their psychological, physical and mental readiness.
The Minister further charged Nigerians to encourage the athletes by supporting them in any possible. “Our athletes have the full support of the nation. We believe in their abilities and are confident they will give their best at the Games. Let’s all rally behind Team Nigeria and cheer them on to victory,” he said.
