When 2022 Commonwealth Video games unites us | The Guardian Nigeria Information
The 2022 Commonwealth Video games has come and gone. Winners have emerged, information damaged and new ones have been set. The video games in Birmingham got here to a detailed with Australia topping the desk with 178 medals.
Crew Nigeria amassed 12 Gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze; being a complete of 35 medals on the finish of the 2022 Video games to put seventh on the medals’ desk. The gold medal haul is the very best at a single Commonwealth Video games for Crew Nigeria, representing its finest efficiency ever. This spectacular outing ensured Crew Nigeria additionally completed because the best-ranked African nation on the medals desk.
It’s on document that our women carried out higher than the lads, successful 12 gold medals for Nigeria. The Nigerian quartet of Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Alaba Akintola and Raymond Ekevwo gained Bronze within the males’s 4x100m relay, ending in a time of 38.81s.
It was the primary time Nigeria would get a podium end within the occasion since Auckland 1990. The quartet of Victor Nwankwo, Davidson Ezinwa, Osmond Ezinwa, Abdullahi Tetengi completed with a silver medal on that event.
Edidiong Umoafia additionally gained a bronze in 67kg weightlifting, Ikechukwu Christian Obichukwu (Silver, Males’s Heavyweight) in Powerlifting, Wilson Ebikewemino (Silver, Males’s Freestyle 57kg) Wrestling, Ogunkunle Isau (Bronze, Males’s Singles Courses 3-5) Para-Desk Tennis and Onyekwere Ifeanyi (Bronze, Males’s over 92kg Tremendous Heavyweight) in Boxing.
Tobi Amusan was drafted into the ladies’s crew, after she had damaged the Commonwealth Video games 100m Hurdles document. It was certainly a powerful quartet comprising Amusan within the lead leg, Favour Ofili on the again straight, then Rosemary Chukwuma on the third leg and Grace Nwokocha anchoring the crew.
Nigeria didn’t solely beat a powerful discipline that had England ending 2nd, and Jamaica third, additionally they blazed to a brand new African Document of 42.10s, mentioned to be the quickest any Nigerian feminine crew has ever run.
Amusan began properly for the crew, handed over to Ofili to convey the baton to Chukwuma, who was by far the excellent athlete in that race, consuming up the bend within the dwelling straight and giving Nwokocha a snug result in convey dwelling the baton for Gold. Ese Brume additionally gained Gold within the Lengthy bounce occasion.
The Ouadri Aruna-led males’s desk tennis crew was crushed within the semi-finals by India. Our ladies’s desk tennis crew couldn’t advance to the quarterfinals, they had been defeated by the English crew.
Watching the video games in our Newsroom, there was no division amongst everybody watching. There was no declare to Obidient, BATists or the Atikulates. We had been all excited on the victory of the Crew. I’m certain throughout the size and breadth of Nigeria, from Lagos to Sokoto, Port Harcourt, and Nnewi, the issue of successful was paramount within the minds of Nigerians, no matter the place the athletes got here from. The nationwide spirit was at play.
The relay quartet that gained gold for the nation didn’t run for his or her tribes. They ran for Nigeria. So when politicians play the ethnic and spiritual playing cards to divide and rule us, allow us to not fall for his or her plan. Nigerians love one another. It’s the politicians who sow seeds of discord.
We now have abilities in abundance to dominate in sports activities. What we lack is the capability to handle them to achieve the rostrum en masse. We should construct capability in competent management and never tribal or spiritual management.
When the Nationwide Anthem of Nigeria was performed on the medal displays, it was a second of pleasure as may very well be seen on the face of athletes. On the Oregon competitors, Tobi Amusan shed tears of pleasure.
Poor administration is the bane of sports activities in Nigeria. Nonetheless, what stood out in Birmingham was the efficiency of the Nigerian contingent, extra particularly, the feminine athletes, and the Ministry of Sports activities, which tried to make sure that there was no scandal, although there have been points with the kits. There was an preliminary disturbance about sports activities kits. It is a downside with us, we by no means handle to prepare till the final minute.
The Minister of Youths and Sports activities, Sunday Dare, showing on a TV present, Journalist Hangout mentioned the ministry prioritised the sporting actions they had been to take part in. The World athletics championship in Oregon, USA and the Commonwealth Video games in Birmingham had been prime on their agenda and the Ministry ensured that it obtained all issues essential that will make the crew succeed. The excited Minister praised President Muhammadu Buhari and a few state governors who gave them monetary assist.
President Muhammadu Buhari on his half described Crew Nigeria’s efficiency on the Birmingham Video games, as a parting reward to him. Buhari mentioned this in a press release issued by his media aide Femi Adesina.
‘‘We’re pleased with these achievements and the recollections will linger with the nation endlessly and for me this can be a particular second and a becoming parting reward, being my final Commonwealth Video games as Head of State,” the assertion quoted Buhari as saying.
The President counseled the 94 worthy ambassadors that proudly flew the Nigerian flag in 9 sporting occasions, and for these thrilling moments when the medalists introduced smiles to our faces by breaking world, nationwide, and video games information, in addition to reaching private bests of their profession.
In response to Buhari, the athletes’ efficiency was a show of the “God-given attributes of the actual Nigerian- by no means surrender, attempt to the tip.”
The President additionally lauded the teaching crew and crew officers for the fervour in the direction of the event of sports activities within the nation, assuring them that historical past will keep in mind them for all their contributions to creating our athletes shine within the worldwide area.
Crew Nigeria’s efficiency with 35 medals, is the nation’s finest outing on the Video games in years. If properly nurtured, Nigerian athletes will sweep medals on the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Congratulations Crew Nigeria!
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