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Sport

12th African Games: Team Nigeria arrive in Abuja to rousing welcome

Arrival
By Muhyideen Jimoh
Abuja, Sept. 1, 2019 (NAN) Team Nigeria arrived in Abuja to a rousing welcome on Sunday after finishing second overall at the just-concluded 12th African Games in Rabat, Morocco.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the team arrived on Sunday evening via a chartered flight.

The Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, and other officials were on hand at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to welcome the athletes and officials.

Dare commended the contingent for representing the country well and promised them better welfare and preparations for future international competitions.

Team Nigeria capped a memorable outing in Morocco with a second place finish, behind defending champions Egypt.

Egypt emerged tops on the medals table with 99 gold, 96 silver and 69 bronze medals, while Nigeria won a total of 121 medals.

South Africa, Algeria and hosts Morocco complete the top five respectively, after 15 days of sports activities in the North African country.

The 12th African Games took place from Aug. 19 to Aug. 31.

Ghana is scheduled to host the next edition in 2023.(NAN)
MUYI/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Aigbogun confident of success as football contingent heads to African Games ahead of Team Nigeria

Confidence
By Muhyideen Jimoh
Abuja, Aug. 13, 2019 (NAN) Flying Eagles’ head coach Paul Aigbogun on Tuesday in Abuja expressed confidence in his young home-based team doing the nation proud at the 12th African Games in Rabat, Morocco.

The coach gave the assurance while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as his team departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for Lagos, en route Rabat.

NAN reports that the team has 18 home-based players, and they had been training in Abuja since early in July to finalise preparations for the Games.

The coach had officially released the final 18-man list on Monday, with the team to be captained by Plateau United’s Ibrahim Abubakar.

Aigbogun, while expressing his confidence in the players, said he had worked with most of the boys in the build-up to the 2019 FIFA World Cup in Poland.

“I have a lot of confidence in the team, in spite of the players being all home-based.

“My first goal is to win our first match against Burkina Faso on Friday and we will build from there,” he said.

NAN reports that most of the players picked for the Games were part of the training camp in Germany before the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in May and June.

Andrew Randa, the team’s media officer, told NAN the team was physically and psychologically ready to do the nation proud.

He disclosed that a foreign-based player, from Stoke City in England, was earlier expected to join the team in Rabat.

“But he will not be making it due to logistics reasons,” Randa said.

The Flying Eagles will start their campaign in the football event on Friday against Burkina Faso.

The team will then take on South Africa on Aug. 20 and round off the group stage matches against hosts Morocco on Aug. 23, all in Rabat.(NAN)
MUYI/OLAL
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

12th African Games: Adesola tasks athletes on discipline, patriotism

Games
By Muhyideen Jimoh
Abuja, Aug. 12, 2019 (NAN) Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, on Monday urged Nigerian athletes to the 12th African Games in Morocco to be disciplined and patriotic.

Adesola, while visiting the athletes’ camps in Abuja as they prepare to depart Nigeria for Morocco, said this was important in the quest to win medals at the Games.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 12th African Games is scheduled for between Aug. 19 and Aug. 31 in Rabat.

NAN also reports that Team Nigeria, comprising 462 athletes and officials, will depart Nigeria for Morocco in two batches from Thursday.

The Permanent Secretary assured the athletes that everything had been put in place in terms of welfare and logistics to ensure a good outing for them.

“You need to be of good discipline and shun any form of doping, if you want to excel at the highest level. As you know, the greatest sports men and women are those that are full of good discipline,” he said.

Adesola also urged all the coaches in the 22 sports in which Nigeria would be competing to guide the athletes in line with international best practices.

Seldom Mamdum, captain of Nigeria’s weightlifting team, who responded on behalf of the athletes, promised a good medals haul for Team Nigeria at the Games.

The camps visited by the Permanent Secretary included those of football (male and female), weightlifting, taekwondo, handball, basketball, karate, rowing and shooting.

NAN reports that Team Nigeria finished second in the last edition of the Games in Congo Brazzaville in 2015.(NAN)
MUYI/WAS/OLAL
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(Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq and Olawale Alabi)