The Tokyo Summer Olympics began yesterday, here’s everything you need to know about what Nigeria is going to be doing there.. There are 33 categories at the Tokyo Summer Olympics and Nigeria is going to be participating in 10 of them. These ten categories are:
Athletics:
There are – events in the Athletics portion of the Tokyo Olympics; the 100m (Men/Women), 200m, 400m (Men/Women), 800m, 1,500m(Men/Women), 5,000m(Men/Women), 10,000m(Men/Women), 400m Hurdles(Men/Women), 3,000m Steeplechase (Men/Women), 4 x 100m Relay (Men/Women), 4 x 400m Mixed Relay, 110m Hurdles (Men) and the 100m (Women) for track events. The field events include the High Jump, Pole Vault, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Shot Put, Discus Throw, Hammer Throw, Javelin Throw. For the Road events, the athletes will participate in the 20km Race Walk, the Marathon and the 50km Race Walk for Men. There’s also a Decathlon for Men and a Heptathlon for Women. Nigeria has a total of 19 athletes competing in both the track and field events of the Athletics category. These athletes include Blessing Okagbare, Divine Oduduru, Tobi Amusan. The Athletics category of the Olympics start on Friday, 30th of July with the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase and ends on Sunday, 8th of August with the Men’s Marathon Finals. Nigeria first athletics outing would be in the Women’s 100m race on the same day.
Badminton
There are three badminton players participating in the Badminton category of the Olympics; Godwin Olofua and Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori competing in the men’s doubles, and Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan competing in the Women’s singles. Nigeria’s first event will be the Men’s Doubles stage against Japan.
Basketball
Nigeria qualified for the Basketball category of the Olympics by virtue of their ranking at the 2019 FIBA World Cup where Team Nigeria finished as the highest ranked African squad. The men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, has their first match on the 25th July, against Australia, an opponent they have faced in their previous preliminary games. They’ve had quite an impressive run before heading to Tokyo and there are high hopes for their Olympic journey.
The Nigerian women’s basketball team, D’Tigress qualified for the Olympics as one of the two highest-ranked eligible squads from the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. They have their first match on the 27th of July, facing off against the USA.
Canoeing
This is the first time Nigeria is qualifying for this category of the Olympics. Winning the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco cinched the qualification. Ayomide Emmanuel Bello will make her debut as an Olympian at the Women’s C-1 200m event on 2nd August.
Gymnastics
Nigeria will also be making its debut in Gymnastics thanks to the bronze win at the 2021 African Gymnastics Championships in Cairo. Uche Eke will compete in the all-around and apparatus events in the Artistic Gymnastics category.
Rowing
Nigeria qualified for one boat in the women’s singles sculls by finishing in third place in the B-final and securing the last of five berths in the 2019 FISA African Olympic Qualification Regatta in Tunis, Tunisia. Esther Toko will make her third appearance for Nigeria in an international setting.
Swimming
Nigeria’s qualification for this category of the Olympics came via a universality invitation from FINA. Universality invitations are special invitational quota places given to countries to improve diversity. Abiola Ogunbawo will compete in the Women’s 100m freestyle.
Table Tennis
Nigeria has four athletes representing in the Table Tennis category. Olajide Omotayo and Olympic veterans Ofong Edem and Olufunke Oshonaike finished with semi final victories to qualify for spots in the men’s and women’s singles at the 2020 African Olympics Qualification Tournament in Tunisia. Oshonaike holds the record for the first ever African woman to participate in seven editions of the Summer Olympic Games. They are accompanied by Quadri Aruna who participates in the Men’s singles along with Omotayo.
Taekwondo
There is only one Nigerian athlete in the taekwondo competition for the first time since London 2012. Elizabeth Anyanacho qualified for the women’s welterweight category (67kg), finishing in the top two of 2020 African Qualification tournament in Morocco.
Wrestling
There are five Nigerian wrestlers competing for the Olympics; Ekerekeme Agiomor represents Nigeria in the -86kg men’s freestyle event, Adijat Idris in the -50kg, Odunayo Adekuoroye in the -57kg, Aminat Adeniyi in the -62kg and Blessing Oborududu in the -68kg Women’s freestyle events.
