Olympics
NIGERIAN ATHLETES GET IOC SCHOLARSHIP AHEAD OF 2020 OLYMPICS
BY PHEMMY ADETULA
Succour has come the way of 11 Nigerian athletes ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo as they were captured in the latest International Olympic Committee scholarship scheme.
The list is headlined by fast rising 100 metres hurdler and reigning Commonwealth gold medallist, Oluwatobiloba Ayomide Amusan and Portugal-based table tennis star, Aruna Quadri.
The Nigeria Olympic Committee brokered the deal. Also to benefit are Commonwealth Games wrestling champion in the 53kg category, Odunayo Adekuoroye, Blessing Oborodudu (Wrestling) and Nathaniel Glory Onome (athletics) and Nathaniel Samson (athletics).
Others include Adeniyi Aminat (Wrestling), Adesanmi Oluwatoyin (Weightlifting), Italy-based table tennis talent, Omotayo Olajide and taekwondo duo of Adamu Abubakar and Otuadinma Uzoamaka.
Reacting to this development, the NOC President, Habu Gumel described the latest gesture from IOC as a welcome development which will go a long way in exposing the athletes to quality training facilities, specialized coaches, regular medical and scientific assistance, as well as lodging costs and travel to Olympic qualification competitions.
“These 11 athletes were carefully selected out of the numerous applications from Nigerian athletes home and abroad. We would have wanted more slots, but we just had to make do with the available slots given to Nigeria by IOC.”
Gumel seized the opportunity to appeal to corporate organizations to support and sponsor Nigerian athletes, which will ease the burden on the Federal Government, sports federations, and individual athletes as they prepare for the Tokyo 2020 games.
“Qualifying for the Olympics is capital intensive and without heavy financial backing. Athletes and federations find it difficult to train properly and even attend the numerous competitions, which serve as qualifiers for the Olympics.
“We cannot leave everything to government or federation presidents. We need more corporate sponsors to help us in preparing these athletes for major international competitions.”
It would be recalled that sequel to the Rio 2016 Olympics, 12 athletes including Nigeria’s Queen of the track, Blessing Okagbare, Ese Brume, Ejowkoghene Divine Oduduru, and Adekuoroye all benefitted from the IOC scholarship.
The Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower since June to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games were removed from the Parisian monument early on Friday morning, as confirmed by an AFP photographer. But the Paris City Hall intends to replace them with a more permanent structure until 2028.
The five-coloured rings, measuring 29 metres in length and 15 metres in height, were placed between the first and second levels of the iconic iron structure on 7 June.
According to Inside the Games publication, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo wants the Olympic symbol to continue decorating the monument until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
But the descendants of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel are opposing the move. They are insisting that the Olympic rings are aesthetically in conflict with the concept and design of the Tower.
The 30-tonne rings initially installed on the Eiffel Tower were also not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.
Olympics
Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participatedat the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
The mandate includes a thorough expenditure check and a performance review to better highlight areas of improvement and fund allocation in future Games.
Additionally, the president plans to take necessary measures against federations —such as limiting funds— that had negative results in the Paris Games.
Egypt’s participation in sports where it lacks a competitive advantage will also be limited, as the president aims to direct resources to promising athletes to ensure optimal results. The president also aims to reduce administrative and technical staff within Olympic delegations and task relevant ministries with preparing future Olympic athletes.
Al-Sisi’s Olympic overhaul is to be presented to the cabinet for approval and urged the government to prioritise amending the sports law for the House of Representatives for review.
Egypt took home a total of three medals in the Summer Games. Ahmed El-Gendy triumphed in modern pentathlon, Sara Samir claimed the silver in weightlifting, and 21-year-old fencer Mohamed El-Sayed earned the bronze.
-Insidethegames
Paris 2024 sold a record 12 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, beating the Games record previously set by London 2012, organisers said on Sunday.
Some 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and 2.5 million for the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.
In 2012, London organisers set the record for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold but only 8.2 million were sold for the Olympics.
-Reuters
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