Team Nigeria picks 23 athletes, six coaches for Rio 2016 Paralympics

The Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Sports, has named 23 athletes and six coaches to represent Nigeria at the forthcoming Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

The games will run from September 7 to 18, 2016 in Rio, Brazil, which just held the Olympic Games.

Media Officer of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Mr. Patrick Ibeh, revealed that Nigeria would compete in only three sports where it has comparative advantage at the Games.

These events include athletics, powerlifting and table tennis.

Ibeh added that six athletes, made up of five female and one male, would compete in the athletics events, while 14 athletes (seven men and seven women) are to take part in the powerlifiting events.

Table tennis has only three athletes (two men and one woman) representing the country.

Competing in the athletics events are Hannah Babalola, Eucharia Iyiazi, Lauretta Onye, Lovina Onyegbule, Flora Ugwunwa and Friday Aibangbe, who is the only male athlete, while Patrick Aieto and Adekunle Adesoji are the two coaches.
Those for powerlifting include Nsini Ben, Lucy Ejike, Ndidi Nwosu, Bose Omolayo, Josephine Orji, Esther Onyema and Latifat Tijani (all women), while Yakubu Adesokan, Roland Ezuruike, Abdulazeez Ibrahim, Nnamdi Innocent, Opeyemi Jegede, Paul Kehinde and Tolulope Taiwo are to compete in the men’s category.

They have Prince Are Feyisetan, Luke Ibeh both men and Patience Igbiti (female) as their coaches.

Faith Obiorah (female), Ahmed Koleosho (male) and Emmanuel Nick (male) are those for table tennis, with Chinedu Njoku as their coach.

Secretary General of the Paralympics Committee Nigeria, Dr. Frank Thorpe, who departed for Rio at the weekend ahead of the Games, has commended the Sports Ministry for not neglecting the Paralympics athletes but provided a level playing ground for them while the president of PCN, Monday Emoeghavwe, is optimistic of the team Nigeria’s good outing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Nigeria won six gold, five silver and two bronze medals at the last Paralympic Games in London 2012.