The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has credited the achievements of the past year to the unified efforts of itself, the Ministry of Sports, and the National Sports Federations.
Tony Nezianya, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the NOC, informed the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during an interview that under the leadership of Habu Gumel, the NOC has maintained peace and harmony within the Olympic community in the country. “NOC has ensured regular flow of information to the National Sports Federations, stakeholders as well as the media at home and abroad,” he said.
Nezianya noted that the near success of Team Nigeria athletes in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games was due to the financial backing provided by the NOC to all participating national federations, emphasising the administration’s commitment to sports and its impact on the country’s increased medal count in international competitions.
“We recorded a successful outing at the 13th African Games held in Accra, Ghana this year, where Nigeria won more medals (121 medals of 47 gold, 34 Silver and 40 bronze) than in previous Games to place overall second. Nigeria finished in fourth position at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in 2023 after Team Nigeria won eight medals which comprised of six gold and two silver medals.
“The performance was led by athletes such as Destiny Agbo, who won gold in the Women’s Discus Throw, and Samuel Ogazi, who won gold in the men’s 400m. Faith Okwose also set a new Games Record in the women’s 100m final, with a time of 11.26 seconds. Nigeria also participated in its first-ever Winter Youth Olympics in January this year after becoming the first African country to qualify, with six athletes competing in curling, and challenging European athletes.’’
He stated that the NOC has attained a 90 percent success rate in accrediting all athletes, coaches, and officials gearing up for the Olympics, further mentioning that the committee has also finalised arrangements for the Games Village accommodation for athletes and secured hotels for prominent officials.
Nezianya added that the NOC had finalised arrangements with the official clothing and kitting company for Team Nigeria’s attire during the Olympics. According to NAN, Actively Black is a brand owned by the black diaspora, established in 2020 by former basketball player Lanny Smith.
The brand has experienced significant growth, achieving a valuation of $30million (€27.6 million) in 2021. Additionally, it has partnered with Disney for collaborations related to “Black Panther”.
“Actively Black, a US-based sports apparel company, is the official clothing and kitting company for Team Nigeria for the Paris Olympics,” Nezianya concluded.
