THE Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) has announced Africa’s number one badminton player, Anuoluwapo Opeyori, as the General Team Captain for Nigeria in the Paris Olympics.
Opeyori, a standout athlete who has made history as the first Nigerian player to qualify back-to-back for the Olympics will lead and inspire the Nigerian contingent throughout the Games.
He won the African Championships and African Games in the singles event in 2019. He also won gold in the men’s single at the 2023 African Games, and a silver medal in the men’s single at Accra 2023.
The new General Team Captain was in Tokyo 2020 to compete at the Summer Olympics for the first time.
Meanwhile, sprint hurdler, Tobi Amusan, has been named as Nigeria’s flagbearer for the opening ceremony.
She is, therefore, the first athlete from the athletics team to hold this honour in 20 years, following in the footsteps of Mary Onyali who was the flagbearer at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
Amusan is the current world record holder in the 100 metres hurdles with a time of 12.12 seconds which she set at the 2022 women’s 100 metres hurdles semi final in Eugene Oregon.
She is the current Commonwealth and African champion, as well as the meet record holder in those two competitions.
Amusan became the first-ever Nigerian world champion and world record holder in an athletics event when she won the 2022 World Championships 100 m hurdles gold medal, setting the current world record of 12.12 seconds (+0.9 m/s) in the semi-final, followed up by a 12.06 seconds (+2.5 m/s) in the final.
The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has congratulated both athletes on their appointments.
He said “Tobi Amusan and Anuoluwapo Opeyori have shown exceptional dedication and commitment to their sports.
“Having Amusan as our flagbearer is a testament to her hard work, resilience, and outstanding achievements in athletics. Her journey is an inspiration to many young Nigerians.
“Similarly, Opeyori’s role as General Team Captain reflects his leadership qualities and the respect he commands among his peers. We believe their roles will galvanize our team and foster a spirit of unity and determination.”