Members of Nigeria’s 1976 Montreal Olympic team and the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations Green Eagles squad, will be honoured at the Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame, Completesports.com reports.
The event will take place on Friday, July 28, 2023, at at a gala evening at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Prior to the Nigerian sports legend being honoured, there will be the unveiling of the historic Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) also on July 28.
The two events will be sponsored by Chairman/CEO of Air Peace Allen Onyema.
The Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame is the initiative of legendary Green Eagles winger, 1980 AFCON winner and member of the football team to the 1976 Monreal Olympic Segun Odegbami.
The former IICC/Shooting Stars player would also be a recipient of the prizes as one of the sports heroes.
The unveiling of the Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame at the NIIA will be under the chairmanship of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Investiture of the Air Peace Sports Diplomacy Ambassadors at Eko Hotel will be under the chairmanship of the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Limited, Mr. Hans Essaadi.
Among top dignitaries expected to grace the event are Filbert Bayi, former Tanzanian middle distance runner, one of Africa’s greatest athletes in history and African-American legendary former sprinter, Olympic Gold and Bronze medalist, Ron Freeman.
Also, expected at the historic event are the CEO of OlympAfrica, Allasanne Thierno Diack and radical political scholar, historian, cultural and social activist from South Africa, Dr. Biki Minyuku.
At the Wall of Fame at NIIA, all the sports heroes would have their names written in gold.
According to Onyema, at a press conference, the these athletes who are still alive would not only be honoured and celebrated, they would also be named Air Peace Ambassadors.
Also read: 2023 WWC: Go For Victory Against Australia, Tinubu Charges Super Falcons
Onyema said they would enjoy the airline’s 12 complimentary return tickets on domestic routes annually and one international flight to any of the airline’s foreign destinations until they pass away in addition to a special cash reward that would be announced at the gala event holding on July 28.
In 1980 the then Green Eagles of Nigeria lifted the Africa Cup of Nations Cup for the first time inside the main bowl of the National Stadium in Lagos after beating the Desert Warriors of Algeria 3 – 0.
Odegbami scored two goals against the Algerians to land Nigeria’s first of three AFCON titles.
In 1976, a Nigerian contingent of athletes had arrived in Montreal, Canada for the Olympic Games, with Odegbami also part of the Nigeria football team.
After the Nigerian athletes had spent one week in camp preparing for the games, the military government at the time decided to boycott the games to protest the apartheid regime and racism in South Africa.
The announcement was made on the eve of the opening of the games and Nigeria alongside 27 other African countries boycotted the games and all the athletes returned home.
Nigeria’s move to champion an African boycott of the games led to the end of apartheid in South Africa and the release of Nelson Mandela from prison after 27 years.
1976 Montreal Athletics Team
Kolawole Abdullahi, 100m /4 X 100m relay (late)
Ruks Bazunu, 100m / 4 X 100m relay (USA)
Moses Adebayo Adebanji, 4 X 100m relay (USA)
Edward Ofili, 100m/200m/4 X 100m relay (late)
Mark Olomu, 4 X 100m relay, Sapele
Chuks Abigide, 4 X 100m relay, USA
John Okoro, Long Jump (Late)
Charlton Ehizuelen, Long and Triple Jumps, USA
Moses Akporowho, Long Jump, (Late)
Godwin Obasogie, 110m, Hurdles, USA
Graywood Oruwari, 110m, Hurdles, USA
Modupe Oshikoya, 100m, Long Jump, Pentathlon, USA
Gloria Ayanlaja, 400m, USA
Bruce T. Ijirigho, 400m/4 X 400m relay, USA
Dele Udoh, 400m, 4 X 400m relay (Late)
Felix Imadiyi, 400m, 4 X 400m relay, USA
Benjamin Omodhiale, 4 X 400m relay, USA
Rotimi Peters, 4 X 400m relay, USA
Dennis Otono, 400m Hurdles, USA
Taiwo Ogunjobi, 400m hurdles (Late)
1976 Montreal Olympic Football Team
Emmanuel Okala, Enugu
Joseph Erico (Late)
Andrew Atuegbu, USA
Sanni Mohammed, Accra, Ghana
Mudashiru Lawal (Late)
Christian Chukwu, Enugu
Godwin Odiye, USA
Kelechi Emetiole (Late)
Haruna Ilerika (Late)
Adekunle Awesu (Late)
Thompson Usiyan (Late)
Alloysius Atuegbu (Late)
Baba Otu Mohammed (Jos)
Jide Dina (Late)
Samuel Ojebode (Late)
Patrick Ekeji, USA, NA
Segun Odegbami, Lagos
Montreal 1976 Swimming Squad
John Ebito – USA
Montreal 1976 Boxing Squad
Obisia Nwankpa , Lagos
Davidson Andeh (Late)
L. Obagoriola, Lagos
1980 Africa Cup of Nations Team
Best Ogedegbe (Late)
Moses Effiong – Calabar
Emmanuel Okala – Enugu
John Orlando – Accra
David Adiele – Owerri
Okey Isima (Late)
Segun Odegbami – Abeokuta
Felix Owolabi – Ibadan
Godwin Odiye – USA
Christian Chukwu – Enugu
Adokie Amiesimaka – Port Harcourt
Charles Bassey – Calabar
Tunde Bamidele (Late)
Kadiri Ikhana – Abeokuta
Mudashiru Lawal (Late)
Henry Nwosu – Lagos
Ifeanyi Onyedika – Enugu
Frank Onwuachi – Asaba
Martin Eyo (Late)
Shefiu Mohammed – Jalingo
Alloysius Atuegbu (Late)
Sylvanus Okpala – Enugu
By James Agberebi
Got what it Takes?
Predict and Win Millions Now
4 Comments
Hi CSN – These are the types of articles that one wants to be reading on your site – this is useful information even though you did not instigate this directly but please take a leaf out of the actual information provided and take a lead into researching and releasing articles like this of your own volition to educate Nigerians about their great, gone-by history.
Nigerians know very little about their own history because of too much focus on surviving the harsh realities of hard times brought about by the maladministration of our hallowed terrain right from day dot – these types of articles encourage nostalgia and will encourage a re awakening of greatness and aspiration from the average citizen realising what a great history we have and what strong, talented and resilient people we are.
Even though this article was only prompted by the brilliant idea from Segun Odegbami for a “Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame” – thanks BTW to the sponsor (and now an actual great Nigerian by this action) – Allen Onyema of Air Peace – going forward, let this be a blueprint of the format and make-up of your reporting and the news/articles that you require your employees to churn out – this will be aspiring to the standards adhered to in the “developed world” and be another catalyst of progress planting the shoots of advancement in our country – as I have already mentioned variously elsewhere, we have all the materials, raw and latent, talents and access to resources to bring this nation up and make us comparable to the “1st world countries of this world”
Let this be your standard to aspire to from now on – every journey – even a journey of a million miles must start from somewhere and have a beginning, it is tiny droplets of water that will eventually make a mighty ocean – If you need thought leaders and stalwarts/guardians to enforce and ensure these standard, there are many of us with the requisite skills, knowledge, experience, desire and a powerful motivation to set this course and remain focused and dedicated to maintaining it for the full course, putting in standards and levels of excellence and continuity in place to ensure evergreen sustainability – this in itself will have the power to encourage similar shoots of excellence for the greater beneficial good of our nation, ourselves and our future generations to the betterment of all.
Forget all these greedy and narrow minded, short term stealing, lack of honour and integrity and evil spirit of self sabotage that bedevils the country currently and lets put down roots towards excellence and self and future preservation which will in no time at all lead to an exponential increase in the pot where we all draw from – meaning that every man, woman, boy and girl will be much more better off as a “collective” rather than have a skewed and evil system where 1% of the population enjoy all the riches and whatever value is left still to be had even as the totality continues to be pillaged, robbed and stolen – to the detriment of a whole peoples who were put on earth by God and blessed with abundant resources and possibilities –
Enough of this bloody mindedness and insane, naive behavior of short sighted, narrow minded greed leading to desolation and decay of everything that was, is and will be Nigeria!
God bless Nigeria!
‘Time o time, where did you go?(Don Williams)’How wished it can be reversed .These were great sportsmen and women in their prime..they really made NIGERIA proud!.GOD WILL CONTINUE TO BLESS THOSE STILL AROUND,those who have gone RIP
Hi guys! Though their names are there, who can name the players in the above picture as they are? I can only remember five from the standing and six squarting. Can we give it a trial?
Interesting to see the name of Ed “Horsepower” Ofili in the list. He went to school with my dad in Enugu and is the parent of the BRITISH OLYMPIANS Tiffany Porter (née Ofili) and Cindy Sember (née Ofili). We have been “donating” our best to the world for eons.