AS the 10th All Africa Games enter the home stretch, Team Nigeria officials are still pouring plaudits on Athletics for “saving us from disgrace”.
Before the commencement of athletics, Nigeria was precariously placed in a distant 8th position with only three gold medals – two from Badminton and one from Table Tennis. Tongues wagged as observers became increasingly worried.
But once the hot legs stepped out on the tartan tracks, the music changed and Nigeria catapulted to the top position behind South Africa whose position at the top had never been threatened from day one. Athletics Federation President, Chief Solomon Ogba, on whose shoulder lay the burden of lifting Nigeria never showed any sign of fear as he said that his wards would deliver. Many doubted him, apparently, because of the performance of athletics team to the World Athletics Championship in Daegu, South Korea, where Nigeria came back without a medal although they had three finalists, a n improvement to their past two outings.
But reflecting on the impact of athletics on the over-all performance of Team Nigeria here in Maputo yesterday, Chief de Mission, Alhassan Yakmut described the athletics feat as the “goose that laid the golden egg”.
“Words are not enough to thank them for sustaining Nigeria’s medal haul in all our outings. To say they have saved us is to say the least. But in all, every athlete who represented Nigeria at this Games did absolutely well”, Yakmut said before the final of seven athletic events.
Nigerian athletes were in the final of the seven events and had already won three as at press time. “I target five gold medals from the seven,” Ogba was said to have told a friend at the stadium.
Out of Nigeria’s 21 gold medals Nigeria has earned as at press time, Track and Field notched 11. And Nigeria is featuring in more than 15 sports. Amaju Melvin Pinnick who flew into Maputo from London could not hold back his observations after just three days in
Maputo. Said he: “Great credit must go to Chief Ogba on the achievements of Track and Field here. I have seen his personal commitment make impact. We have US based athletes here and sometimes they want to eat things like pizza to feel good and compete well. Ogba personally goes to buy them Pizza and other things. He is a great motivator and I’m proud of what he has done here. I’m also proud that Delta athletes are doing well and have won many medals. The 4X100m relay team that won the gold comprised of Delta athletes throughout. I’m happy.” Amaju is Executive Chairman of Delta Sports Commission. Team Nigeria is in a dog race with Tunisia for the second position after over-taking the North Africans with one medal. But with more athletic events coming up and the possibility of Team Nigeria picking more medals from them, Judo, Taekwondo, Para-athletic, Yakmut said “there is no shaking” on the placement of Team Nigeria at the end of the Games.
However, the man who has made it possible for Nigeria’s flag to flutter and the national anthem to be played repeatedly, Solomon Ogba, has refused to grant any interview here.
Ogba has kept silent thereby fueling fears that he was not happy with some issues here.
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Before the commencement of athletics, Nigeria was precariously placed in a distant 8th position with only three gold medals – two from Badminton and one from Table Tennis. Tongues wagged as observers became increasingly worried.But once the hot legs stepped out on the tartan tracks, the music changed and Nigeria catapulted to the top position behind South Africa whose position at the top had never been threatened from day one. Athletics Federation President, Chief Solomon Ogba, on whose shoulder lay the burden of lifting Nigeria never showed any sign of fear as he said that his wards would deliver. Many doubted him, apparently, because of the performance of athletics team to the World Athletics Championship in Daegu, South Korea, where Nigeria came back without a medal although they had three finalists, a n improvement to their past two outings.
But reflecting on the impact of athletics on the over-all performance of Team Nigeria here in Maputo yesterday, Chief de Mission, Alhassan Yakmut described the athletics feat as the “goose that laid the golden egg”.
“Words are not enough to thank them for sustaining Nigeria’s medal haul in all our outings. To say they have saved us is to say the least. But in all, every athlete who represented Nigeria at this Games did absolutely well”, Yakmut said before the final of seven athletic events.
Nigerian athletes were in the final of the seven events and had already won three as at press time. “I target five gold medals from the seven,” Ogba was said to have told a friend at the stadium.
Out of Nigeria’s 21 gold medals Nigeria has earned as at press time, Track and Field notched 11. And Nigeria is featuring in more than 15 sports. Amaju Melvin Pinnick who flew into Maputo from London could not hold back his observations after just three days in
Maputo. Said he: “Great credit must go to Chief Ogba on the achievements of Track and Field here. I have seen his personal commitment make impact. We have US based athletes here and sometimes they want to eat things like pizza to feel good and compete well. Ogba personally goes to buy them Pizza and other things. He is a great motivator and I’m proud of what he has done here. I’m also proud that Delta athletes are doing well and have won many medals. The 4X100m relay team that won the gold comprised of Delta athletes throughout. I’m happy.” Amaju is Executive Chairman of Delta Sports Commission. Team Nigeria is in a dog race with Tunisia for the second position after over-taking the North Africans with one medal. But with more athletic events coming up and the possibility of Team Nigeria picking more medals from them, Judo, Taekwondo, Para-athletic, Yakmut said “there is no shaking” on the placement of Team Nigeria at the end of the Games.
However, the man who has made it possible for Nigeria’s flag to flutter and the national anthem to be played repeatedly, Solomon Ogba, has refused to grant any interview here.
Ogba has kept silent thereby fueling fears that he was not happy with some issues here.
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