Nigeria will compete in three out of five relay events at next month’s Olympic Track and Field tournament in Paris France.
The West Africans’ medal winning potential now lies in the mixed 4x400m, women’s 4x100m, and men’s 4x400m.
Team Nigeria missed out on qualifying for the women’s 4X400m event despite blazing to the GOLD medal in the African Athletics Championships in Cameroon yesterday.
The quartet of Ella Onojuvwevwo, Patience Okon, Esther Elo Joseph, and Omolara Ogunmakinju clocked a time of 3:27.31 to reclaim their championship title, lost to South Africa two years ago in Mauritius.
Despite their outright victory against fierce rivals Botswana and Zambia, the Nigerian team won’t be participating in Paris as they needed to run faster than Cuba’s 3:26.08.
The Cubans currently occupying the last qualifying spot on the world list in 16th place.
Tag: NOC
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This year’s Olympic Day celebrations will be held in 16 states and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on 29 June 2024.
They are Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Ondo, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Gombe, Kogi, Ebonyi, Taraba, Plateau, Adamawa, Osun Enugu and Imo.
According to a statement by Tony Nezianya, Public Relations Officer of the NOC Lagos the event will witness a series of physical fitness and recreational activities, including aerobic exercises plus other side attractions.
The Chairman of NOC Sport For All Commission, Dr Abdul Ibrahim, urges participants to take it easy, stressing that Olympic Day is not a competition to win prizes but to serve as a reminder that exercise, as a way of life, holds a lot of promise in helping humanity to stay healthy through sports.
The Olympic Day, celebrated annually to commemorate the birth of the Olympic Movement, will be flagged off in Nigeria by Engr. Habu Gumel, president of NOC.
In Lagos, the celebrations will centre around the NOC Secretariat.
The event will kick off at 8:30 am with an energetic aerobic exercise session, inviting participants of all ages to get their hearts pumping and bodies moving.
Following the warm-up, the program will shift its focus to showcasing the diverse range of sports that make up the Olympic Games.
Local athletes and sports clubs will captivate the audience with thrilling demonstrations, providing a glimpse into the skills and dedication required to excel at these disciplines.
The excitement doesn’t stop there.
To uncover the next generation of sporting stars, the organisers have planned a talent hunt component within the festivities.
Budding athletes will have the opportunity to showcase their talents, with the chance to be identified and nurtured by sports development experts.
As the day progresses, the event will culminate in a special presentation ceremony, where participants will receive diplomas to recognise their enthusiasm and participation in the Olympic Day celebrations.
This gesture aims to inspire and encourage the community to continue their active engagement with sports and the Olympic ideals.
This year’s Olympic Day comes up just a few days before the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games from 26 July to 11 August 2024. -
The Women Commission of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) will run capacity-building seminars in six locations across the six Geographical zones of the country.
A statement released by Tony Nezianya, NOC PRO notes that the events take off from 10 to 27 June 2024.
The aim is to update female coaches and administrators on women’s inclusion in sports, with participants drawn particularly from state Sports Councils or Commissions.
The seminar will begin in Nasarawa from 10 to 11 June; Jigawa from 13 to 14 June; and Gombe from 13 to 14 June 2024.
Others are, Ogun from 20 to 21 June; Edo from 24 to 25 June and round off in Anambra from 26 to 27 June 2024.
Twenty-five participants from each commission or council are expected to gather in each zone.
The theme is Capacity Building in Sports.
Notable speakers at the events include, Prof. Florence Adeyanju, Dr. Ademola Are, Ms Bose Kaffo, Dr Richard Alabi, Ms Nneka Ikem and others.
The event is borne out of NOC’s Commitment toward promoting Gender balance in athletes’ participation, plus at coaching and administrative levels. -
The annual Olympic Day Celebration for 2024 will hold on 29 June across various states in Nigeria.
The occasion is a global event that commemorates the birth of the modern Olympic Movement, founded by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894.
According to the Nigeria Olympic Committee NOC, this year’s celebration holds special significance as it precedes the highly anticipated Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where Nigerian athletes will compete and inspire the world with their performances.
“Olympic Day is a chance for people of all ages and abilities to experience the magic of the Olympic Games in their own communities,” said Babatunde Popoola, the Secretary-General of the NOC.
“It’s an ideal platform to highlight the benefits of physical activity and the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect.”
States such as Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Lagos, Kogi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Kwara, Taraba, Imo, Ondo, Plateau, Rivers, Nasarawa, and Osun have already indicated their plans to organize activities for the event.
For Lagos, a series of activities have been lined up, with fitness clubs at the National Stadium Complex and the general public gearing up to take part in the global event.
The celebration will conclude with presentation of diplomas signed by the President of the IOC Thomas Bach.
The President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Ahmed Gumel, and other dignitaries will officially flag off the event in Abuja. -
A three day seminar to bolster sports management capabilities at grassroots in Nigeria is expected to end today in Lagos.
The seminar is organised by the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), in partnership with the National Association of Physical and Health Education, Recreation Sport and Dance (NAPHAED.)
According to a statement released by the Public Relations Officer of NOC, Tony Nezianya this marks the 5th collaborative effort between the two bodies to provide crucial training for sports administrators.
The initiative is supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its Solidarity program, which has designed Sports Administration and Advanced Sports Management Courses to assist National Olympic Committees in enhancing the skills of managers worldwide.
This exercise involves NOCs, national federations, sports clubs, educational institutions, and other sports organisations, providing a comprehensive approach to sports development.
Participants in these courses play a vital role in ensuring that sports are managed effectively and ethically in their communities, contributing to the overall strengthening of the country’s sports ecosystem. -
Enterprising Nigerian boxers Patricia Mbata and Zainab Adeshina are one win away from qualifying for the women’s Olympic Games in Paris, France.
The UK based pugilist Mbata took down Brazil’s Vivianne Pareira 4-1 earlier today in the round of 16 stage at the ongoing Boxing Road to Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Bangkok, Thailand.
The split decision win in the 75kg class, means Mbata needs one more victory in the quarter final to qualify for the Paris Games.Elsewhere in the women’s 50kg category, another Nigerian Adeshina dismantled Jordanian Hannan Nasser by split decision to progress to the quarter finals.
One more win for Adeshina will land her the ticket to the Olympics.
Both Mbata and Adeshina are the two remaining Nigerian boxers in the Thai qualifying.
The qualification series ends tomorrow 2nd June. -
The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has announced an extension for the submission of memoranda as part of a review of the body’s Constitution.
The initial deadline of 30 April has been extended to 10 May 2024.
A six-member committee, chaired by Hussaini Garun-Gabas, was inaugurated on 9 February 2024, in Abuja for the review.
Other members include Babatunde Fatayi-Williams, Prof. Mariam Suleiman, Emmanuel Agwu, Tunde Kazeem, and Emmanuel Nweri.
The committee was tasked with reviewing and updating the 23-year-old NOC Constitution, which has been in effect since 2001.
Tony Nezianya, the Public Relations Officer of the NOC, stated that this exercise was crucial for ensuring good governance and best practices within the Olympic Movement.
The NOC Constitution serves as a guiding document for the committee’s day-to-day operations and outlines the executive activities of the NOC, including the presidents of all Olympic sports and partners such as the Federal Government of Nigeria and sponsors.
The Constitution review exercise is seen as a fundamental requirement for the NOC to strengthen its mission and vision, and enhance its ability to support and promote Nigerian athletes on the international stage.
The committee’s terms of reference include assessing the impact of the current Constitution and recommending amendments where necessary.
The current NOC Constitution came into effect during the 2001 Elective Annual General Meeting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
By extending the deadline for submission of memoranda, the NOC aims to ensure that it receives input from all relevant stakeholders, further strengthening the review process and its outcomes. -
Team Nigeria athletes to this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, France will be kitted by US-based sports apparel company, Actively Black.
The fast-rising sportswear company announced the collaboration with the Nigerian Olympic Committee yesterday on its Instagram page, emphasizing it was a milestone moment for a black-owned, diaspora brand.
Details about any financial incentives or values that this deal will bring to the Nigerian Olympic contingent are still hazy.
Actively Black was founded in 2020 by former basketball player Lanny Smith, who launched the company to challenge sportswear giants like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok.
According to http://www.cnbc.com, it brought in $5.6 million in revenue last year while promoting a rotating cast of Black designers and reinvesting 10% of sales into organizations supporting social justice, mental health, and physical health in U.S. Black communities. -
Nigeria’s elite talents like world record holder over women’s 100mH Tobi Amusan and long jumper Ese Brume could be set to cash in on a landmark decision by World Athletics to reward champions at 2024 Olympic Games.
The athletics governing body’s decision breaks a 128-year Olympic tradition by becoming the first sport to offer prize money to gold medallists.
According to World Athletics president Lord Coe on Wednesday, each athlete who wins an individual track and field event in Paris will receive $50,000 (£39,400) which is about N62m.
Silver and bronze medallists will not be financially rewarded this summer, but they will be at the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Since the modern Games were founded as an amateur event in 1896, athletes have never received prize money from a sport’s governing body.
Coe, though, insists World Athletics’ radical move does not go against the spirit of the Olympics.
‘I don’t believe this is at variance with any deeply held philosophical commitment to the Olympic movement,’ said the 67-year-old, who won 1500metres gold for Great Britain in 1980 and 1984.
‘I think this fits very much with a contemporary template that we should do everything we can to recognise the performance and the primacy of athletes.
‘The world has changed. It is a completely different planet from when I was competing, so it’s really important that where possible we create a sport that is financially viable for our competitors. This is the beginning of that.
‘If I thought athletes were only competing because there was a financial pot at the end of the day, then I might take a very different view – but they are not.’
The $50,000 offer is for all 48 athletics events in Paris.
In relay races, the money will be shared between the winning team members.
Athletes will only be paid once they have cleared the usual anti-doping procedures.
The total $2.4m (£1.9m) prize pot will come from World Athletics’ share of the IOC’s broadcast revenue, which they are entitled to spend how they choose.
An IOC spokesperson said: ‘The IOC redistributes 90 per cent of all its income, in particular to the National Olympic Committees and International Federations.
‘This means that, every day, the equivalent of $4.2m goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world. It is up to each IF and NOC to determine how to best serve their athletes and the global development of their sport.’
While World Athletics will be the first sport’s body to directly offer prize money at a Games, around 60 per cent of countries already reward their medallists, including the USA, who paid their champions £29,500 at Tokyo 2020.
Many athletes also receive bonuses from sponsors if they win medals.
World Athletics’ move follows Britain’s world indoor and outdoor champion Josh Kerr who slammed the prize money on offer at major events as ‘crazy.’
It also comes after USA legend Michael Johnson announced plans to launch a big-money breakaway track league next year.
But while Coe has promised to increase the prize pot further for LA28, he insists this is not a response to Johnson’s series or the Enhanced Games, which is offering major financial rewards for athletes to take drugs to try and break world records.
‘As we grow the sport in the next few years, I want the athletes to benefit even more from that,’ said Coe.
‘You can assume that we will do what we possibly can to increase that price pot.’
Coe also says he would like to see the Paralympians rewarded in the future, although his governing body is not responsible for para athletics. -
The Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) has praised the outstanding performances of the country’s athletes in the just concluded 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.
According to a statement released in Lagos by the Public Relations Officer for the Committee, Tony Nezianya, the NOC was extremely pleased and greatly impressed with each and every member of Team Nigeria for their impressive performance at the Games.
The statement quoted the NOC President, Engr. Habu Gumel as saying that the team’s overall second place finish— which consisted of 121 medals, including 47 gold, 34 silver, and 40 bronze—was the result of their commitment and diligence.
The NOC boss said the team had demonstrated unwavering dedication, resilience, and the true spirit of sportsmanship throughout the competition.
The 2024 Games took place from 8 to 23 March 2024.