The Nigerian athletes who were withdrawn from Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada 47 years ago before they could compete have been recognised.
The 45 athletes were already in Montreal for the 1976 Olympics when Nigeria and 26 other countries pulled out from the Games.
The countries withdrew due to an unresolved diplomatic row over the New Zealand rugby team’s tour of the then-Apartheid South Africa.
Without prior notice, the athletes were ordered to pack their bags and head back home on the eve of the opening ceremony.
Now, 47 years after the Games, the athletes have been honoured by Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
A monument has been made in their honour with a Wall of Fame. The Green Eagles squad that won Nigeria’s first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980 was also honoured.
Many of the athletes were present at the ceremony, while those who are deceased or were unavailable were represented by members of their families.
Segun Odegbami, who was one of the footballers who were both in the 1976 Olympics and 1980 AFCON squads, was the brains behind the initiative to honour his colleagues, said the athletes deserved honour for their sacrifice.
“One of the reasons we need to honour our sporting heroes with gestures like this is to showcase the effect and impact of their actions to the world, let the world know they deserve to be honoured,” Odegbami said today at the unveiling of the Wall of Fame.
“We came back from Montreal without any fanfare and we all went our separate ways without our role in the struggle for the emancipation of South Africans property recognised.
“Some of us had trained for four years and made sacrifices and were on the verge of achieving our Olympic dreams when it was all taken away.
“Today is a historic day that will be remembered for a very long time.”
Onyema praised the athletes for their efforts.
“These heroes deserve great honour for returning to Nigeria without causing any problems, without seeking asylum in Canada after the country had been withdrawn,” the Air Peace CEO said.
“These are the heroes and heroines that should always be celebrated for their sacrifices.”
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