House to Reward Paralympians with N18m

•   NSA salutes contingent, Dream Team VI over football bronze

Damilola Oyedele in Abuja

The House of Representatives has pledged to reward the victorious Team Nigeria’s contingent to the Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil with N18 million.

Nigeria won eight gold, two silver and two bronze medals to finish 17th on the medals table and also emerged the best team from the African continent.

Each lawmaker in the 360-member house is expected to donate N50,000 towards the cash gift to the paralympians. The House is also planning to host a special plenary session in their honour.

The resolution followed a motion moved by Hon. Ayo Omidiran (Osun APC) who noted that the paralympians deserve to be celebrated for their outstanding performances in spite of their physical challenges.

She added that the members of the team need the support and encouragement of the House.
Also yesterday, the organisers of Nigeria’s prestigious sport award, Nigerian Sports Award (NSA) congratulated the contingent for emerging top African team at the competition.

According to the Chairman of NSA panel, Mr, Ikeddy Isiguzo, “the Paralympic team deserves all applauds and accolades for winning eight gold, two silver & two bronze and breaking world records and setting new ones; thereby surpassing the laudable feat it achieved at the London Olympics in 2012.”

Isiguzo urged sport loving Nigerians to nominate the Paralympic athletes and their coaches for the different categories in the 2016 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award (NSA).

He noted that only nominated athletes, sport administrators, team and coaches have the chance of winning the prestigious award, in recognition of their outstanding performance.

He then called on the sport ministry and the federal government to reward the Paralympics athletes and their coaches for raising the flag of the nation high at the games, to encourage other Nigerian sports men and women to excel in their respective sports.

The chairman also used the medium to commend the effort of the Nigerian Under-23 football team captained by Chelsea FC midfielder John Mikel Obi and tutored by coach Samson Siasia for winning a bronze medal which was Nigeria’s only medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Nigerian Paralympics gold medalists include; Ezuruike Roland (Powerlifting Men’s -54kg), Kehinde Paul (Powerlifting Men’s -65kg), Ejike Lucy (Powerlifting Women -61kg), Onye Lauritta (Athletics Women’s Shot Put –F40), Nwosu Ndidi (Powerlifting Women’s -73kg), Omolayo Bose (Powerlifting Women’s -79kg), Ugwunwa Flora (Athletics Women’s Javelin Throw –F53/54). Orji Josephine (Powerlifting Women’s +86kg).

Tijani Latifat (Powerlifting Women’s -45kg), Oyema Esther (Powerlifting Women’s -55kg) won silver medals while Innocent Nnamdi (Powerlifting Men’s -72kg), Iyiazi Eucharia (Athletics Women’s Discus Throw –F56/57) won Bronze.

Nomination for the 2016 Nigerian Sports Award can be done through the website www.nigeriansportsaward.com and on social media platforms such as Twitter via @ngrsportsaward and on Facebook