Odegbami Excited by Fresh Hope for Former Nigerian Athletes 

Former Green Eagles Captain, Chief Segun Odegbami, has showered praises on Air Peace for the proposed Diplomacy Wall of Fame initiative to be unveiled in Lagos on July 28.

Odegbami said it was thoughtful that the airline remembered ex-athletes who made the nation proud in their prime, adding that it was a fresh hope for many facing different challenges in various aspects in life.

At a brief but colorful ceremony in Lagos this week, the CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, said arrangements have been concluded to bestow honours on some of the forgotten former national athletes.

The 1976 Olympics athletes who were recalled from Montreal, Canada on the eve of the Games due to New Zealand’s sporting romance with apartheid South Africa and the 1980 Africa Cup of  Nations winning team players are amongst the beneficiaries of Onyema’s large heart.

The ex-athletes apart from being the ambassadors of Air Peace are to enjoy 12 free return tickets in addition to one international flight yearly in addition to cash reward on July 28.

Odegbami however said the decision to write the names of all these athletes in gold would mark a turn-around in how ex-internationals are treated in the country.

“This is a very good initiative. It is very great to recall that the 1976 Olympics athletes with great potentials for medals are being honoured now for their patriotism. It was open for us then to decide to compete as individuals but there was a collective decision to respect the stand of Nigeria by boycotting the Games.

“I recalled the then Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, provided a brand new DC 10 Nigerian Airways aircraft to take us back to Nigeria. 

He recalled the many potential medalists in the team to include  Charlton Ehizuelen, the Nigerian men’s 4x400m relay team, Davidson Andeh,  Obisia Nwakpa amongst others.

“In the future, I expect more corporate organisations to emulate Air Peace by coming up with initiative that will put smiles on the faces of former athletes,” concludes the ex international fondly called Mathematical.