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Tag: NOC

  • AFCON 2025: NOC President hails Super Eagles’ bronze victory

    AFCON 2025: NOC President hails Super Eagles’ bronze victory

    President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Habu Gumel, has commended the Super Eagles for their display of character and resilience in securing the bronze medal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

    Gumel gave the commendation on Tuesday, in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NOC, Tony Nezianya.

    He praised the national team for their victory over the Pharaohs of Egypt, in the third-place match, describing the result as a reflection of the team’s mental strength and growing maturity.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Super Eagles bounced back from a gruelling semi-final setback to dominate the playoff encounter, demonstrating renewed confidence and determination.

    “The Super Eagles have once again become a source of national pride, displaying the famous ‘never-say-die’ Nigerian spirit against top African opposition,” he said.

    Gumel said that the win underscored the remarkable transformation of the team under the leadership of Coach Eric Chelle.

    Read Also: AFCON Bronze:  Super Eagles jump to 26th  in  latest FIFA Rankings

    According to him, the Super Eagles have undergone significant development within a year, evolving from a goal-shy side into a more clinical and effective attacking unit.

    He noted that Chelle’s influence has helped rebuild the team into a disciplined and respectable squad that commands authority and respect on the pitch.

    He added that the team’s performance reaffirmed Nigeria’s status as a powerhouse in African football.

    Gumel expressed optimism about the future of the team, adding that he looked forward to the continued evolution of an exciting new era for Nigerian football. (NAN)

  • NOC hails Sunshine Schools for successful sports administration course

    NOC hails Sunshine Schools for successful sports administration course

    The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has commended Sunshine Schools, Ibadan, for successfully hosting a three-day Sports Administration Course (SAC) in the ancient city.

    Organised by Olympic Solidarity and the NOC in collaboration with Dynaspro Sports and Sunshine Schools, the programme brought together key sports stakeholders including Directors of Sports, Sports Officers, Heads of Sports Departments, Sports Marketers, and Games Masters.

    More than 20 participants from within and outside Oyo State took part in the training, which was facilitated by International Olympic Committee (IOC)-certified officials.

    NOC General Manager, Emmanuel Nwaneri, praised Sunshine Schools for providing a conducive atmosphere and for engaging coaches and managers across the state.

     “I must commend Sunshine Schools for this initiative. They invited coaches and managers from different sectors to be part of the programme. It’s very encouraging and impressive that it goes beyond the school itself, empowering academies and coaches within Oyo State. This is grassroots sports development,” he said.

    He explained that the SAC is an IOC initiative through its Olympic Solidarity Department, designed to empower sports administrators and managers at local and national levels with best practices in sports management.

     “We have partner schools where we run these programmes as part of Olympic education. Sunshine Schools collaborated with us to empower sports managers, coaches, and administrators in Oyo State, and that’s why we are here,” Nwaneri added.

    CEO of Sunshine Schools, Temitayo Williams, described the training as part of the school’s vision to integrate sports into its curriculum.

    Read Also: Super Falcons, Nnadozie win  big at 2025 CAF Awards

     “Sports has always been a long-term dream for this school. Hosting this programme is like an answer to prayer. Our next step is establishing the Sunshine Sports Academy. We believe sports is central to our vision, and to achieve it, we must embrace experts in the field. However, there is still a big gap in nurturing school talents to help them reach stardom,” she said.

    =Programme Director at NOC, Prof. Fasan Clement, urged other schools nationwide to emulate Sunshine Schools by equipping sports handlers with modern coaching techniques and management skills.

    Participants described the course as an eye-opener, noting that the knowledge gained would help them administer sports more effectively in line with global standards.

    The initiative, part of the IOC’s global educational programme through Olympic Solidarity, aims to equip sports administrators with essential tools to drive development and excellence. It also expands participants’ understanding of the Olympic Movement, the Olympic Games, and the management of sports organisations.

    Attendees were trained on Olympic values, principles of good governance, and effective organisational management, with the ultimate goal of strengthening support systems for athletes.

  • ​Olympic Games build bridges, bring people together, says IOC President 

    ​Olympic Games build bridges, bring people together, says IOC President 

    President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),  Thomas Bach has enjoined all member nations to take advantage of the Olympic family principle and ensure that the world enjoy an unforgettable celebration of sport achievements at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

    Olumide Oyedeji, President of ​the Nigerian Olympians Association (NOA) delivered the speech at the National Stadium,  Lagos. 

    Oyedeji, who stood in for pres​ident of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Engr Habu Gumel.

    The IOC president, who described this year’s Olympic Day Celebration a ‘Special One’ as it coincides with the 2024 Olympic Games year in Paris, averred that Paris 2024 offers   athletes the platform to inspire the world with the Olympic motto of togetherness.

    “This year’s Olympic Day is a very special one, taking placing just ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. With the excitement building, the athletes, the fans, the entire Olympic community around the world – all of us- we are all looking forward to a new era of Olympic Games: younger, more inclusive, more urban, more sustainable. 

    “The very first Olympic Games with full gender parity. The very first Olympic Games fully in line with our Olympic Agenda.

    “The Olympic Games always build bridges and bring people together in peace and solidarity. 

    “This is the beauty of sport; it inspires us to move, it brings out the best in us, it keep us healthy, and it brings us all together – as friends and as a community, wherever we are and whichever way we choose to move,” he said.

    IOC president said that;​ “Together with all of you, I look forward to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 for an unforgettable celebration of the joy of sport, for a celebration of our shared humanity – for a celebration of peace!”.

    Also speaking at the event, 1996 Olympic Games  gold medal, Chioma Ajunwa admits that the Olympic Day Celebration is a great thing for lovers of sports.

    She said that this year’s celebration is worth celebrating as it falls in Olympic Games year.

    ” It means a lot for all Nigerians that know what sport is all about. A market women in the street may not know, but some of us that knows what sport is all about know that today is great day in the Olympic family, and it worth doing it because this year is Olympic year. 

    “Even if we have not been doing it in the past, I think it’s a great thing doing it this year, because we’re in full gear for our team moving to Paris.  

    “We know that this year is going to be like 1996. We’ve alot of athletes that are really shaking the world,” she said.

    Apart from Lagos, this year’s Olympic Day Celebration, was also celebrated in 13 other states across Nigeria, namely;  Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo, Gombe, Kogi, Ebonyo.

    Others are; Taraba, Plateau, Kwara, Osun, Delta, Imo and Adamawa.

    The event was spiced with the demonstration of some sport events like boxing, tug-of-war, Muay Thai, skating, jogging by Joggers Fitness Club, Heritage Dancers and Aerobics display by Chairladies.

  • Sports Minister challenges NOC on early preps for Paris 2024

    Sports Minister challenges NOC on early preps for Paris 2024

     In a bid to elevate Nigeria’s presence and performance at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has issued a compelling call to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) to push the boundaries of their preparations.

    The Minister made the call during a meeting with the executive board of the NOC, led by its president, Engr. Habu Gumel at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

    Senator Owan Enoh emphasized that early, robust preparations are not just essential but pivotal to the success of the nation’s athletes in their respective sporting disciplines. Furthermore, he underscored that such meticulous preparation could significantly enhance Nigeria’s chances of clinching medals at international competitions.

    “I want to challenge you to do more, and go farther than you have gone,” the Minister said. “ Beyond the grants, and training programmes, let our performances in the various sporting events be glamorous.

    “I want to charge the NOC to spare no effort in terms of Team Nigeria’s preparations, to assure the country of a better performance. I am glad that the NOC executive board is made up of executives of the various sporting federations. While the Olympic Qualifiers are still running, I look forward to the completion of the phase, so we can have a briefing with the different sports and the number of athletes we are taking to Paris.”

    He added that participation at the Olympics Games should not just be for the fun of it, but should be a means to an end (performances and results).

    Read Also: UI to honour former FIFA/CAF Instructor, Asagba

    “Gone are the days where we are told the fun is in the participation,” the Minister said. “Sports has become a major weapon in the international diplomacy of countries. There is a sense of pride that comes with making podium appearances at international competitions.”

    Reflecting on the Government’s commitment to the development of sports, the Minister conveyed the desire of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to reshape sports from a recreational activity into a thriving industry. This transformation aims to make sports a contributor of the nation’s GDP, create employment opportunities for Nigeria’s burgeoning youth population, alleviate poverty, and foster peace and unity throughout the nation.

    Highlighting the unifying power of sports in Nigeria, Enoh reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to developing the sector to strengthen national unity and enhance the overall well-being of the nation.

    Senator Owan Enoh concluded by reminding the Committee of the necessity for clean participation by Nigeria’s athletes during the competition, reiterating the government’s zero-tolerance policy regarding doping cases during the Games and beyond.

    In his remarks, the President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Engr. Habu Ahmed Gumel, appreciated the Minister for being proactive and progressive in his first few months in office, which he described as clear pointers that this administration will chart a new course for Nigerian sports.

    Engr. Gumel lauded the Minister’s proactive and progressive steps taken within his first few months in office , expressing confidence that these steps are indicative of a tenure poised to steer Nigerian sports in a new and promising direction.

    He assured that the NOC, as a partner with the Ministry of Sports Development, is steadfast in its commitment to delivering value, particularly in terms of capacity building to support sports federation’s administrative and technical structures, aiming to elevate Nigeria to a prominent position among sporting nations.

    The 2024 Olympic Games will take place in Paris between July 26 – August 11 2024, while the Paralympic Games will be held from August 28  September 8, 2024.

  • NOC, NFF endorse FCV Football Academy

    The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have endorsed the setting up of FCV International Football Academy in Nigeria, which is meant to combine football alongside education.

    The NOC through its Secretary General, Tunde Popoola, described the academy as the right platform for footballers to combine sports and education which is the ideal of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

    Popoola, a former Nigeria captain to the African Games commended the UK-based academy for deciding to set up its academy in Nigeria which he said would help Nigerian athletes to fulfil their potentials in sports and education. “We are so happy that FCV Academy has considered Nigeria as its base in Africa and we believe this will surely help our athletes to combine sports with education which has been lacking in the past. As a product of school sports, i am confidence that this kind of platform will surely help us to produce educated sports stars. We at NOC will be willing to support this kind of initiative as it is in tandem with the IOC ideals of marrying sports and education,” the NOC scribe said.

    The Vice President of NFF, Seyi Akinwunmi, however, re-echoed NOC’s stance saying that this would surely help to mould and produce educated footballers that would be useful to themselves and to the society after their retirement from active service.

    “I must commend FCV academy for bringing the unique products to Nigeria where football and education can be combined. This for us is a good development for school football and we hope our athletes will avail themselves the opportunity to cue into this and get better mentoring to get better lives. We will support this kind of idea and we hope it has come to stay in Nigeria,” the NFF helmsman said.

    For the Academy Director of FCV, Martin Harris, FCV International Football Academy was the UK’s first private football academy, providing football courses alongside academic studies for aspiring footballers who are aged 14 or older.

    Harris said FCV would stage two camps in Lagos and Abuja in 2019 come April with two players from each camp getting scholarships to attend the FCV Academy for two weeks in the summer of 2019.

  • Commonwealth Games: Dalung, NOC charge federations on good leadership

    Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung has charged the sports federations in the country to make the best use of the lessons learnt in the two day the “International Olympic Committee/NOC seminar on good governance in sports” to move sport to the next level.

    The Minister who was represented by the Director of Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Hawa Kulu Akinyemi, said this while declaring open the IOC seminar yesterday and will end today in Abuja.

    Dalung disclosed, “I commend the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) for their collaborations and support which ensured successful conduct of the last election into the sports federation.

    “I believe that the major take away from this seminar is a better understanding of good governance, which I expect you (presidents of sports federations) to translate to better management in your sports, especially the athletes for their better performances”, Dalung stated.

    IOC member and President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Habu Gumel is convinced that “the seminar is a milestone in the annals of Nigerian sports as this happens to be the first time such a high-level seminar is being organised within our shores for presidents and members of our sports federations to address the subject of good governance in our sports system.”

    The IOC expert, Dr. Donald Rukare, who conducted the seminar, said the major problem in Nigeria was how to get the federations to perform optimally. He expressed believd that the problem would soon be a thing of the past.

  • Gumel, Oladapo make IOC Commission

    Gumel, Oladapo make IOC Commission

    President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Habu Gumel and former Secretary General of NOC, Oladapo Olabanji have made the list of members of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Commission.

    The composition of the IOC commissions for 2017 was announced yesterday with an increase of 70 per cent in female participation since September 2013. The commissions also reflect a broader geographical representation and include a number of new faces from a new generation who will be the leaders of tomorrow.

    Gumel was listed in three commissions while Oladapo is a member of the 19-man Communication Commission.
    Gummel belongs to Commissions of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Olympic Games Evaluation and is Africa’s representative in the six-man Delegate Member of Broadcast Rights Commission.

    In a statement issued by IOC, President Thomas Bach has significantly increased the number of women appointed to a commission since his election, with 38 per cent of places now taken by women – a historic high. That is a 70 per cent increase since 2013. In 2017, 29 more positions are held by women across the 26 IOC commissions than in 2016, and female members are present on each of them.

    The changes to the function and composition of the commissions, which are effected by the IOC President working closely with the IOC Executive Board, also include increases in the number of members from America, Africa and Asia, thus guaranteeing a more global and diverse continental representation.

    “These changes are aligned with the implementation of Olympic Agenda 2020 and show that a stronger participation of women and a more diversified continental representation are our top priorities,” said IOC President Bach.
    “The diversity of members guarantees interesting and more inclusive discussions and reflects the Olympic Movement’s commitment to universality,” he added.

    The new make-up of the IOC commissions, which provide assistance to the IOC and Olympic Games Organising Committees, is also marked by the inclusion of young men and women who represent a new generation and will be the sports leaders of tomorrow. Since 2010, each edition of the Youth Olympic Games has welcomed and generated a group of Young Ambassadors who are still active today in their sport, in their territory or in their community. Seven of these talented ambassadors (of whom six are women) have joined the commissions to give youth a stronger, louder and clearer voice within the Movement.

  • 2008 Beijing Olympics: IOC upgrades Team Nigeria’s bronze to silver

    2008 Beijing Olympics: IOC upgrades Team Nigeria’s bronze to silver

  • NOC/Olympic course in Rowing ends today

    The NOC/Olympic Solidarity Technical Course in Rowing will come to a colourful end today.

    The three-day train the trainers course started on 7th -10th April 2016 and is aimed at developing Rowing sports in Nigeria. Experts from the British Rowing and UK Sports, conducted the course.

    Twelve coaches were trained to identify more coaches as well as athletes. They were also charged with the responsibility of popularizing the sport in Nigeria

    As part of their developmental program they are scheduled to visit and inspect Unilag Lagoon front Akoka, Bics boats club, Lekki, Lagos and Jabi Lake, Abuja. They are also expected visit the British High commission and the Honourable Minster of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung.

    The second session of the NOC/Olympic Solidarity Technical Course in Rowing takes place in October at Sailing Club, Navy Town, Ojo.

  • Rio 2016: NOC unveils broadcast partners

    Rio 2016: NOC unveils broadcast partners

    To ensure that Nigerians experience the magic of the Olympic Games, the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has unveiled broadcast and entertainment partners for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

    During a press parley yesterday, President of the NOC, Habu Gumel  said that the broadcast partners – Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), DAAR Communications, Silverbird Communication and Smooth Promotion (HIP TV) –  are coming in at a time when the official countdown of the Rio Olympic begins.

    The NOC boss said the agreement is a major contribution to the long term financial stability of the Olympic Movement in Nigeria. He said the move is also significant as it demonstrates the NOC’s resolve to become a self-sustaining body.

    Gumel said that the selected stations would consistently broadcast live sporting and entertainment events from the Games, noting that the collaboration is very good for Nigeria’s sporting fan. “For a commercial perspective, this model is a win-win situation, which will help the NOC realise funds to support the activities of the Olympic Movement in the country.”

    He said through the partnership, the Olympic Games broadcast would reach the widest possible audience, expand sports coverage, promote Olympic values, attract the youths, exploit multiple media options/new technologies and build long term relationships. He said that the NOC would be celebrating the day in grand style in many states across Nigeria.

    According to Gumel, the stations would offer viewers the chance to watch every Olympic event for the duration of the Games, delivering about 170 hours of live sports coverage across its various platforms during the games.

    NTA’s General Manager (sports), Abdulrahman Ibn Mohammed said his station was committed to the NOC’s idea, noting that it is a welcome development. He said the NTA has been broadcasting the Olympics live since the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. “We are willing and ready to go and what we are doing today (yesterday) is a result of months of discussion between the NOC and the broadcast partners.

    HIP TV boss, Ayo Animashaun said he was excited about the partnership, promising that his outfit would do everything possible to bring the entertainment side of the Olympics to Nigerians. “I am excited that we are the entertainment partner and my promise to Nigerians is that we will deliver.