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At
the airport to see the contingent off was the DG, NSC seen here speaking to the
press (Image source: footballville.ng)
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The National Sports
Commission (NSC), says Nigeria is set for opening of the 2015 All-Africa games in
Congo Brazzaville tonight. Nigeria had arrived Congo on August 30 with a
573-man contingent, according to the NSC DG, Mallam Al-Hassan Yakmut.
GRAPHITTI NEWS reports that the
Nigerian contingent is made up of participants in 21 sports out of which there
are 201 male athletes, 178 female athletes, 79 coaches, 40 medical crew
members, 25 helpers/loaders/guild runners for Para sports, 19 team secretaries,
18 federations’ presidents, 12 secretarial staff, one Chef de Mission and
deputy, totaling 573 athletes and officials.”
PeaceTV had earlier reported that Nigeria’s
preparations for the 11th All-Africa Games taking place in Brazzaville next
month shifted into high gear on August 25th, when the Director General of the
National Sports Commission, Mallam Alhassan Saleh Yakmut made a presentation to
President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Mallam
Yakmut was at the presentation with a number of chairmen of sports federations,
most notably NFF president Amaju Melvin Pinnick.
The
All-Africa Games, Africa’s version of the Olympic Games, will takeoff tonight and hold betwee 3-19
September in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville.
Nigeria
will take part in 21 sports at the quadrennial, multi-sport fiesta, with
football featuring in both men’s and women’s tournaments. The Dream Team and
Super Falcons were missing at the last fiesta in Maputo, Mozambique.
However,
this year, Samson Siasia’s U-23 side brushed aside Gabon and then shoved Zambia
to be eligible for the Games, while the Super Falcons walloped Mali to make
sure of a place.
Both
teams have been camping in Abuja for the All-Africa Games, and will travel with
the rest of the Nigerian contingent next week.
The
Falcons won the gold medal at the 9th All-Africa Games in Algiers in 2007,
while the Eagles won gold when Nigeria hosted the 2nd All-Africa Games in 1973.
Nigeria
emerged overall winner of the All-Africa Games when hosting the eighth edition
in 2003.
NSC
had earlier disclosed that it had struck a kitting deal worth US$167,550 (about
N36.5m) with a Chinese firm, ahead of the games billed to run from September
5-19. And the DG Yakmut had also disclosed the plans of the Nigerian team and
the support they have been receiving including the 40 percent rebate was
secured from the Chinese firm that is kitting Team Nigeria.
In his words: “To be very
precise on this exercise is to inform you that one and half months ago, we
dispatched two senior officers and the immediate general captain of the 2011
All Africa Games to China on a fact-finding mission on whether we will be able
to have a merchandise right order in less than 65 days to the Games for Team
Nigeria. They visited seven different companies, all were positive but they had
different categories of engagement. While some wanted the partnership to
commence in 2016, some wanted it immediately without any rebate or discount and
some thought that the Games is not known to them. We did a comparative analysis
and found that the basketball captain, Olumide Ayodeji had a stint of
professional basketball career in China and the same Chinese company had
endorsed him. So we opted to take a familiar company and got a 40 percent
rebate.”
Yakmut further disclosed that the NSC has also secured rebate ticket from one
of airlines operating in the country for the conveyance of the contingent.
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