Nigeria already has three athletes qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games and will compete in five sports at the Paralympics.
The Federal Ministry of Sports has released the list of sports the country will take part in at the 13th African Games, scheduled from 8 March to 23 March in Ghana.
The ministry also released the names of athletes and sports that have so far qualified for the Olympics billed for Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August.
Amaka Ashiofu, Acting Director, Federation, Elites and Athletes Development (FEAD), announced this in Abuja on Thursday at a meeting with various sports federations.
He said the country would compete in 23 sports.
Mr Ashiofu listed the sports as athletics, badminton, cycling, swimming, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, and wrestling
Others are arm wrestling, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, cricket, football, handball, hockey, judo, karate, rugby, taekwondo, volleyball, and weightlifting.
“The African Games are open, and as such, we have 23 sports to participate in,” she said.
Mr Ashiofu said that Nigeria will also attend the African Games with three demonstration sports: mixed martial arts, scrabble, and teqball.
In preparation for the Olympics in Paris, France, Ashiofu said that the country would compete in 12 sports and that efforts were being made to ensure a podium finish.
The sports are athletics, boxing, canoeing, wrestling, basketball (women), badminton, football (women), rowing, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis, and weightlifting.
“We have qualified three athletes in athletics, and they are Tobi Amusan for women’s 100m, Ezekiel Nathanial for men’s 400m, and Edose Egbadi for men’s 800m.
“So far, these are the three athletes that have qualified in athletics, but there are still qualifications going on for the Olympics, and we are sure more athletes will qualify.
“We also have three boxers that have qualified. They are Olaitan Olaore in the men’s 92kg category, Dolapo Omole in the men’s 57kg category, and a lady, Cynthia Ogunsimilore, who will fight in the women’s 60kg category.
“For canoeing, we have two persons: Ayomide Bello for the women C2 500m and Beauty Etuku for the women C1 200m.
“Women Road Race has Ese Ukpesereva, while wrestling, for now, has Odunayo Adegoroye in the women’s freestyle 57kg.
“These are the qualified athletes we have under these sports, and, as I said, qualification is still ongoing, and more sports and athletes will qualify.
“The remaining sports on the path for qualification are basketball (women), badminton, football (women), rowing, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis, and weightlifting,” Mr Ashiofu said.
Thecla Opara, Acting Director, Para Sports, also spoke on the preparation for the Paralympics. Opara said that Nigeria would compete in five sports at the Paralympics immediately after the Olympics.
She listed the sports as para-athletics, para-powerlifting, para-table tennis, para-badminton, and para-canoeing.
“Para Athletics has two athletes already qualified, and more are on the pathway to qualification.
“Ten athletes are on the pathway to qualification in para powerlifting, while para table tennis has nine athletes confirmed for the games.
“They are also to attend more qualifiers before the Games in August.
“Para-Badminton has eight athletes on the pathway to qualification as they are attending more qualifiers, while Para Canoeing has one qualified athlete and more on the pathway to qualify,” Ms Opara said.
She said that the ministry was working assiduously to identify camps in Abuja and Lagos, depending on the number of athletes that have qualified in preparation for the Games.