Emmanuel Akinbo (left), Khadijat Folawiyo, Dickson Ugochukwu, Sekinat Alaode, Perpetual Nwanna and Hammed Yusuf are set for camping in South Korea ahead of 2022 Winter Olympics.
For the first time since Nigeria’s historic participation at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, six Nigerian athletes and two coaches will return to the city for training ahead of the next Winter Olympics, slated for Beijing, China, in 2022.
The contingent will leave Lagos today.
All six athletes and coaches were recruited in Nigeria during a session by Technical Director of the Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, Dr. Seun Adigun and Ghanaian Skeleton athlete, Akwasi Frimpong.
The Bobsled quartet are Perpetual Nwanna, Sekinat Alaode, Hammed Yusuf and Dickson Ugochukwu, while Skeleton has Khadijat Folawiyo and Emmanuel Akinbo.
Coaches on the trip are Friday Ibrahim and Emem Ikhaobomeh.
Adigun will join the team from her base in the U.S.
Speaking on the camp, she said: “We have been planning a training camp for the Lagos-based athletes to leave Nigeria and go for Olympics preparation. It is with great pleasure that I reveal that time has officially come.
“The greater beauty in this is that the first track they will learn and race on is the 2018 Winter Olympic track in Pyeongchang, South Korea where it all started for our federation.”
In addition, Adigun said: “We have a long road ahead of us if these athletes stand a chance at qualifying, but either way we are certainly taking the steps in the right direction as a federation.”
She expressed gratitude to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) for supporting the Federation.
