Nigeria: Special Olympics Team Returns With Medals

15 July 2011

The team of 43 competitors and 18 officials that represented the country in the last special Olympics event held in Athens, Greece, has returned to the country with laurels.

The contingent won a total of 27 medals comprising of nine gold, nine silver and nine bronze medals, at the event.

Telecoms operator Globacom sponsored some of the athletes to the event which featured 180 countries that competed for medals in track and field games for 10 days.

They include Tejumola Ogunlela who won a silver medal in Aquatics and Olu Imaferame Jeffrey who won two bronze medals in the single and doubles badminton contest at the Olympics.

At a special reception held for the sports men and women at the Vigeo Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos, the Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian Special Olympics Committee, Mr. Victor Osibodu presented a plaque of honour to Globacom.

Parents of the athletes were effusive in praise of Globacom for empowering their wards competes on the world stage. Mr. Bode Ogunlela, father of Miss Tejumola Ogunlela said Globacom has done well and has contributed to the joy and self esteem of the young but intellectually challenged sportsmen and women.

“Now they know the society appreciates them,” he said.

The Special Olympics is dedicated to athletes with intellectual challenges; among them are those with Autism, Down’s syndrome and several forms of learning disorders.

Osibodu, while commending the sponsors of the team said the contributions of firms like Globacom has helped to promote Special Olympics in Nigeria.

The contingent left on June 24 and returned on July 7.

Before the team departed, Globacom’s Head of Customer Care, Maria Svensson had encouraged the athletes to excel in the games but asserted also that it was not compulsory that the team members won medals, saying that the fact that they were courageous enough to step out to compete in spite of their challenges was commendable. “You are already champions for daring to step out to compete on the world stage; your spirit and your courage have made you winners”.

AllAfrica – All the Time