Nigeria: 43 Team Local Athletes for 2011 Special Olympics in Athens

Duro Ikhazuagbe

6 June 2011

Team Nigeria’s squad to the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games taking place in Athens is targeting to win a total of 43 medals at the global sports fiesta.

Forty-three athletes, 16 coaches/care givers and two officials are to represent Nigeria at the Special Olympics established for people with intellectual disabilities.

Speaking during a visit to the Gateway Stadium camp of Team Nigeria in Sagamu at the weekend, Victor Gbolade Osibodu, the chairman of the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Nigeria said that the athletes were selected through a random draw during the national Games at the University of Lagos last September.

“The will compete in aquatics, athletics, badminton, basketball, table tennis and football. The delegation will be headed by Engr. Charles ‘Yele Akindayomi, a member of the board of the Special Olympics Nigeria,” said Osibodu.

Of the N35m budget needed for Nigeria to excel at the Games in Athens, the Board Chairman hinted that N28m has been realized from through individuals and Corporate Nigerians.

“As you are aware, our approach to funding this project is for organisations and individuals to adopt one or more athletes at the cost of N700, 000, this includes the cost of kitting, training the athlete, airfare, etc. So far, of the N35m needed, we have been able to raise N28m leaving a shortfall of N7m,” he noted.

He thanked GTB, Coca-Cola, Union Bank, MTN Nigeria, Total Upstream, Vigeo Holdings, Leadway Assurance, Phillips Outsourcing Ltd, Channels TV and members of the board of the Special Olympics Nigeria and other individuals who made the target reached so far possible.

Team Nigeria’s first outing at the Games was at the 2003 edition in Dublin, Ireland where with just four athletes were able to return home with one gold, one silver and one bronze. Nigeria’s second outing at the 2007 Games in Shanghai, China with 24 athletes saw a better performance of the contingent returning home with 14 medals, (6 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze).

Speaking on behalf of the special athletes, Witani Musa Paul-Gindiri promised not to let down the country at the Athens Games.

“The team we are having now is better that all our previous squads. I am very positive that we are going to come back with very good results. I am very sure of getting the gold this time,” said the Plateau indigene, who placed fifth in the table tennis event of the last edition.

The Paul-Gindiri who is a student of the Open Doors Special Education Centre in Jos advised parents with altruism children to stop hiding them. “I am calling on parents with children with intellectual disabilities to stop hiding them. Bring them out to be part of the society. We are beautiful people just like any other normal person. Let them feel belonging and loved,” admonished Paul-Gindiri who represents the athletes on the board of the Special Olympics Nigeria.

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