NIGERIA IN WORLD SPORTS

Nigeria's first participation in international sports was in the British Empire games of 1950 in Auckland, New Zealand. Since then Nigeria has participated in almost every Commonwealth games where she has won many laurels. The first among these laurels include a silver medal in the high jump event won by J.O. Majekodunmi in 1950 and a Gold Medal four years later won by Emmanuel lfeajuna during the Commonwealth Games, in Vancouver Canada. In subsequent Commonwealth Games, Nigeria has produced many medalists in different events. These medalists include Innocent Egbunike, Chidi Imo, Joe Orewa, Jerry Okorodudu, David Dafiagbon, Mary Onyali, Fatima Yusuf, Falilat Ogunkoya, Kuburat Owolabi, Atanda Musa, Olawumi Majekodunmi etc.

At the Olympic level, Nigeria's first participation was in 1952 in Helsinki Finland. Since then Nigeria has also participated in almost all Olympic Games where some of her sportsmen and women have proved to be among the very best by winning Olympic medals. Such medal winners include Peter Konyegwachie who won silver in boxing in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Others include David lnzonrite and Richard Ibinegu who won silver and bronze medals respectively in the Barcelona Olympic in 1992. In the same competition, Nigeria won the silver and bronze medal in the men's and women's 4x100 metres relay respectively. The men's silver winning quartet included Olapade Adeniken, David Ezinwa, Kayode Oluyemi and Chidi Imo. The women's bronze winning quartet included Mary Onyali, Beatrice Utondu, Faith Idehen and Charity Opara Thompson. The 1996 Altanta Olympics was the best for Nigeria so far in the history of Olympics with Nigeria winning her first Olympic Gold medals in that competition. The history making gold medals were in the women's long jump event won by Chioma Ajunwa and the men football gold won by the country's football team. In achieving this feat, Nigerians became the first African country to win the coveted Olympic gold medal in football. Other medals won by Nigeria in the Atlanta Olympics include a bronze in the women's 200 metres event won by Mary Onyali and the women's 400 metres event won by Falilat Ogunkoya.

At professional sporting level Nigeria has produced world professional champions in different sports. These include late Hogan Kid Bassey, featherweight champion (19571959) late Dick lhetu Tiger, middleweight champion (19621963), Bashiru Ali, cruiserweight (1987), all in boxing. Other star professional sports performers include Akeem (the dream) Olajuwon in basketball, Atanda Musa in table-tennis and others.

Nigerian won the first Kodak/FIFA Under-16 World Cup Championship in Beijing China in 1985. In the second edition of the competition held in Canada in 1987, Nigeria won a silver medal. She won the competition again in Japan in 1993. The country's under-20 soccer team also won the bronze in the Junior World Cup competition in the Soviet Union in 1986 and silver medal in Saudi Arabia in 1989. Many Nigerian footballers are now in several European and African countries playing professional football.

Some Nigerians have been named Africa's footballers of the year. These include Rashidi Yekini in 1993, Emmanuel Amunike in 1994 and Kanu Nwankwo in 1996. Many Nigerian footballers are today proving their mettle in several football clubs in Europe and other parts of the world.

In 1998 the country's female national team, for the third time, won the Africa Champions Cup in female soccer. She thus earned the right to be one of Africans two representatives in the world championship in the United State of America, USA in 1999.

In the World Cup competition, Nigeria represented Africa in the USA championship where she was able to qualify for the second round of the competition and was voted the world best entertaining team for the tournament. The country was also one of Africa's representative in the 1998 World Cup tournament in France, Nigeria successfully hosted the 1999 FIFA youth soccer championship between the 3rd and 24th of April 1999. The competition was held at eight venues in the country which included Lagos, lbadan, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Calabar and Port-Harcourt. The two semi-final matches were played between Mali and Spain; Uruguay and Japan, while the final was played between Japan and Spain. Spain emerged victorious and went home with the Gold Medal and the trophy.