By EMMANUEL AFONNE

The Federal Ministry of Sports has released the list of sports the country will participate in at the 13th African Games scheduled to hold in Ghana, from March 8 to March 23.

The ministry also released names of athletes and sports that have so far qualified for the Olympics billed for Paris, France, from July 26 to Aug. 11.

Amaka Ashiofu, Acting Director, Federation, Elites and Athletes Development (FEAD), announced this in Abuja on Thursday at a meeting with various sports federations.

He said the country would participate in 23 sports.

Ashiofu listed the sports as athletics, badminton, cycling, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, and wrestling.

Others are arm wrestling, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, cricket, football, handball, hockey, judo, karate, rugby, taekwondo, volleyball and weightlifting.

“The African Games are open and as such, we have 23 sports to participate in,” she said.

Ashiofu said that Nigeria would also be attending the African Games with three demonstration sports and they are mixed martial arts, scrabble and teqball.

On the preparation for the Olympics in Paris, France, Ashiofu said that the country would participate in 12 sports, and that efforts were being made to ensure a podium finish.

The sports are athletics, boxing, canoeing, wrestling, basketball women, badminton, football women, rowing, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis and weightlifting.

“We have qualified three athletes in athletics and they are Tobi Amusan for Women’s 100m; Ezekiel Nathanial in Men’s 400m and Edose Egbadi participating in Men’s 800m.

“So far, these are the three athletes that have qualified in athletics but there are still qualifications going on for the Olympics and we are sure more athletes will qualify.

“We also have three boxers that have qualified. They are Olaitan Olaore in Men’s 92kg category, Dalapo Omole in Men’s 57kg category and a lady, Cynthia Ogunsimilore who will fight in Women’s 60kg category.

“For Canoeing, we have two persons, Ayomide Bello for the women C2 500m and Beauty Etuku Women C1 200m.

“Women Road Race has Ese Ukpesereva, while Wrestling for now has Odunayo Adegoroye for Women’s freestyle 57kg.

“These are the qualified athletes we have under these sports and like I said qualification is still ongoing and more sports and athletes will qualify.

“The remaining sports on partway for qualification are Basketball Women, Badminton, Football Women, Rowing, Swimming, Taekwondo, Table Tennis and weightlifting,” Ashiofu said.

Thecla Opara, Acting Director, Para Sports, also spoke on the preparation for the Paralympics.

Opara said that Nigeria would participate in five sports at the Paralympics, immediately after the Olympics.

She listed the sports as Para athletics, Para Powerlifting, Para Table Tennis, Para Badminton and Para Canoeing.

“Para athletics has qualified two athletes already and more are on pathway to qualification.

“Ten athletes are on pathway to qualification in Para Powerlifting, while Para Table Tennis has nine athletes confirmed for the Games.

“They are also to attend more qualifiers before the Games in August.

“Para Badminton has eight athletes on pathway to qualification as they are attending more qualifiers, while Para Canoeing has one qualified athletes and more on pathway to qualify,” Opara said.

She said that the ministry was working assiduously to identify camps in Abuja and Lagos, depending on the number of athletes that have qualified in preparation for the Games. (NAN)

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