Tokyo 2020: Team Nigeria 1st batch off to Tokyo

By Olalekan Okusan

Team Nigeria  first  batch contingent for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will expectedly depart Abuja today.

Director, Federation of Elites Athletes Department Dr. Simeon Ebhojiaye, informed that members of the Canoeing team Ayomide Bello and her coach Ebenezer Ukwunna, Esther Toko and her coach Regina Enofe of Rowing event alongside Secretary General Olubunmi Oluode  will depart through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International  Airport aboard Ethiopian Airline.

Also in the team is the Special Adviser  on Sports  to the Minister  Ambassador Mary Onyali, MFR, Medical crew of Dr. Samuel Ogbondeminu, Messrs Okoh Joseph, Abdulsalam Shuaibu and Ekundayo  Ogunkunle.

Yesterday , an advance team  from the Ministry of Youth and sports Development  departed via the Murtala Mohammed International  Airport in Lagos while  the second batch will depart on July 13th.

Nigeria  will be competing  in nine  Sports at the Games which runs from July 23rd-August 8th while the Paralympians will be competing  in four Sports from August 24th -September 5th  2021.

Meanwhile, World Athletics (WA) has confirmed Nigeria for 13 events in athletics at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan this month.

In the list of qualified athletes and teams released by the world body, women team will compete in more events than their men counterparts as the female athletes would compete in nine events while the men will compete in three events as both of them would compete in the mixed relay 4X400m event.

In the Women’s 100m, the trio of Rosemary Chukwuma, Grace Nwokocha and Blessing Okagbare will carry Nigeria’s flag. In the Women’s 200m, Okagbare, Favour Ofili and Nwokocha will compete, while Tobi Amusan is Nigeria’s sole flag bearer in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Like Amusan, Patience Okon George is Nigeria’s sole representative in the women’s 400m.

African record holder in the long jump ESE Brume will be joined by upcoming Ruth Usoro in the long jump while Usoro who is the first Nigerian to be competing in two jumps at the Olympic Games will also compete in the triple jump event.

Chioma Onyekwere and Annette Echikunwoke will compete in the discus and hammer throws for Nigeria in Tokyo.

The women’s team led by Okagbare will also jostle for honours in the 4X100m relay while Nigeria will also present a team in the maiden 4X400m mixed relay event.

For the men’s 100m, Nigeria will have the quartet of Divine Oduduru, Raymond Ekevwo, Enoch Adegoke and Usheoritse Itsekiri competing while Oduduru is Nigeria’s sole competitor in the men’s 200m.

African champion, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will fly Nigeria’s flag in the men’s shot put event.