Director Common of the Nationwide Sports activities Fee (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has praised Staff Nigeria’s inspiring begin to the inaugural West Africa Para Video games after the nation’s amputee soccer staff delivered a dominant 11–0 victory over Benin Republic in Abeokuta.
Talking after watching the match reside on the MKO Abiola Stadium, Olopade mentioned Nigeria’s determination to host the maiden version of the Video games was pushed by the nation’s proud legacy in para sports activities and the Fee’s dedication to deepening inclusion and empowerment.
He described the emphatic efficiency as “a strong assertion and a mirrored image of the renewed hope agenda for Nigerian para athletes.”
“All of us can see that internet hosting these Video games has given renewed hope and assurance to folks dwelling with disabilities. Personally, I can’t be uninterested in associating with them as a result of they symbolize resilience and willpower,” Olopade mentioned.
He recommended the amputee soccer staff for his or her explosive show, noting that the result’s a transparent signal of Nigeria’s management function in para sports activities throughout the area.
The match was one of many highlights of the opening ceremony, the place striker Usman Ahmed Tijani scored 4 targets, whereas Michael Akachi and Daniel Tochukwu each netted hat-tricks. Ibrahim Ndako added yet one more to seal the 11–0 rout.
Earlier, the occasion started with a vibrant march-past by collaborating nations and a wealthy cultural showcase that formally positioned Ogun State in continental historical past because the first-ever host of the West Africa Para Video games.
President of the Africa Paralympic Committee, Samson Deen, who declared the Video games open, thanked the Nigerian Authorities and Ogun State for his or her dedication to para sports activities improvement.
Equally, President of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, acknowledged the robust backing from the NSC beneath the management of Mallam Shehu Dikko and Hon. Bukola Olopade, saying their intervention made Nigeria’s internet hosting attainable.
With Nigeria off to a flying begin, Olopade reaffirmed the NSC’s dedication to offering sustained help for para athletes because the Video games proceed in Abeokuta.
