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Nigeria has made its mark in global sports competition. Its national soccer team, the Super Eagles, is adjudged the best in Africa and one of the best ten in the world. Nigeria won the first World Cup in the under-16 category in China in 1985 and came second in the same category two years later in Canada.
Its Under-20 soccer team won the bronze medal in the Junior World Cup competition in the Soviet Union in 1985 and the silver medal in Saudi Arabia in 1989. In the 1994 World Cup competition, Nigeria led its group to qualify for the second round.
In professional boxing, Nigeria has produced three world champions (Hogan "Kid" Bassey (featherweight, 1957-1959); Dick Tiger, (middleweight, 1962-1963) and Massachusetts resident, Bash Ali (cruiserweight, 1987). Nigeria's athletes have also won Olympic medals in long jump, 400 x 4 relay and several other track and field events.
Dozens of Nigerians are today professional athletes in Europe and America. A Nigerian based in the US, Hakeem Olajuwon, is today roundly adjudged the best basketballer in the world.
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Sports History
Nigerian sports, though always exercised, was noted first in the 1950s. Nigeria had it's first appearance in the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952, and it's first victory in 1954, when Emmanuel Ifeanjuna won a gold medal in the high jump at the Commonwealth games in Cardiff.
In 1962, the Nationals Sports Council was set up, and in 1971, the National Sports Commission, and they had the following responsibilities (stated exactly as is):
* To coordinate and integrate efforts to raise the standard of performance in sports in Nigeria.
* To encourage the development, organization and participation of sports in Nigeria.
* To make any arrangements on behalf of the States' Sports Councils for Competitions, technical assistance, recruitment of coaches and for any other matters as the Commission sees fit.
* To promote physical fitness and general well-being of all persons in Nigeria
In terms of football/soccer, the Nigerian Football Federation was created in 1945. It was the first year that a competition was organized bringing together clubs from Lagos, Port Harcourt and Calabar. The championship was also renamed the Challenge Cup replacing the Governor's Cup as it had been known under their British colonizers. It was only several years later that the Challenge Cup became a national trophy when other top clubs from different provinces were invited to play. However, the clubs had to wait till 1990 for the professional league to be introduced.
Nigeria emerged on the international football/soccer scene in 1960 when it first entered the World Cup, but failed to qualify for the finals. It eventually qualified for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. The Nigerian National League began in 1972 when five teams entered the league. This grew to 12 teams by 1978. The victories Nigeria has won are stated in the records section below. Locally within Nigeria, there are many sporting clubs that one can join.
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Sports Played
The following sports are playe in Nigeria (listed alphabetically):
* Athletics (track and field)
* Badminton
* Baseball
* Basketball
* Boxing
* Chess
* Cricket
* Cycling
* Football (called soccer in the United States and in some other places). This is by far the most popular sport in Nigeria.
* Gymnastics
* Golf
* Handball
* Hockey
* Judo
* Lawn Tennis
* Rowing
* Shooting
* Squash rackets
* Swimming
* Table Tennis (called ping-pong in some other places)
* Taekwondo
* Volleyball
* Weight-lifting
* Wrestling
In Olympics, Nigeria usually participates in soccer, judo, wrestling, boxing, weightlifting, tennis, long jump, triple jump, table-tennis and the sprints.
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Records
Here are the records I've been able to obtain on Nigeria's involvement in sports (outside of Nigeria of course), sorted chronologically. Of course, if you can think of something that I am missing let me know. In the meantime, I want to thank DID for helping provide some of this information.
| Year |
Records |
| 1954 |
Emmanuel Ifeanjuna won a gold medal in the high jump at the Commonwealth games in Cardiff.
|
| 1962 |
The first All African games was held and Nigeria's Karimu Young won a gold medal in the 51 kg class (in Cairo).
|
| 1964 |
Nojim Maiyegun won a bronze medal in the 71 kg class in the Olympics (in Tokyo Japan)
|
| 1966 |
* A. Andeh, LIGHTWEIGHT, Commonwealth games, Boxing
* Eddie Ndukwu, BANTAMWEIGHT, Commonwealth games, Boxing
* Also in boxing, Fatai Ayinla each won a gold medal (in Lagos)
|
| 1968 |
* In boxing, Lako (last name not mentioned) won a gold medal in the
54 kg class.
|
| 1970 |
* A. Adeyemi, LIGHTWEIGHT, Commonwealth games, Boxing
* Fatai Ayinla, LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT, Commonwealth games,
Boxing
|
| 1972 |
* Isaac Ikhouria won a bronze medal in the 81 kg class in the
Olympics (in Munich Germany)
|
| 1973 |
* In boxing, Obisia Nwakpa, Isaac Ikhouria and Fatai Ayinla won
gold medals each in boxing (in Lagos)
|
| 1974 |
* Obisia Nwakpa, LIGHT-WELTERWEIGHT, Commonwealth games,
Boxing
* Eddie Ndukwu, FEATHERWEIGHT, Commonwealth games, Boxing
* In boxing, Eddie Ndukwu and Isaac Ikhouria won gold medals
each (in Kampala)
* In boxing, the first world's championship was held and Fatai
Ayinla won a bronze medal in the +91kg (in Havana Cuba)
|
| 1976 |
* Shooting Stars won the tournament for the CAF nations.
|
1977
|
* Enugu Rangers won the tournament for the CAF nations.
|
1978
|
* Abdulkarim Haruna (60 kg) and Ishiaku Adamu (81 kg) won gold
medals each (in Algiers).
* Davidson Andeh won a gold medal in the 60 kg class (in worlds
championship held in Belgrade)
|
1980
|
* African Cup of Nations Championship
|
1982
|
* J. Orewa, BANTAMWEIGHT, Commonwealth games, Boxing
* P. Konyegwachie, FEATHERWEIGHT, Commonwealth games,
Boxing
* Roland Omoruyi won a bronze medal in the 67 kg class in the
worlds championship (in Munich)
* Nigeria won the 4 x 100 meter relay final in the Commonwealth
games.
|
| 1984 |
* Nigeria won four silver medals in the Olympics through
featherweight boxer Peter Konyegwachie (in Los Angeles)
|
| 1985 |
* Champions of World Championship for U-16/U-17 Teams
* 3rd place Palmares Youth's World Cup (sub 20)
|
| 1989 |
* 2nd place Palmares Youth's World Cup (sub 20)
|
| 1990 |
* David Defiagbon, WELTERWEIGHT, Commonwealth games,
Boxing (gold medal)
* Sabo Mohammed, BANTAMWEIGHT, Commonwealth games,
Boxing (gold medal)
* Also in boxing, Kevin Onwuka won a bronze medal (in Auckland
New Zealand)
* Moses James won a bronze medal in the 63.5 kg class (in
Sydney)
|
| 1991 |
* In boxing, Moses James (63.5 kg), Jacklord Jacobs (81 kg),
David Izonritei (91 kg) and Richard Igbineghu (+91kg) won gold
medals each including a silver medal by Tajudeen Sabitu(67kg)
and a bronze medal by David Defiagbon(71kg) (in Cairo)
* Nigeria finished 10th in the Women's World cup.
|
| 1992 |
* Nigeria won the 4x100 men's relay in Barcelona.
* Nigeria won two silver medals in boxing in the Olympics through
David Izonritei (91 kg) and Richard Igbineghu (+91kg) (in
Barcelona)
|
1993
|
* Champions of World Championship for U-16/U-17 Teams
* Jacklord Jacobs won a silver medal in the 81 kg class (in
Tempere Finland)
|
| 1994 |
* 1st World Cup appearance
* African Cup of Nations Championship (again)
* In boxing, Duncan Dokiwari won a gold medal in the +91kg
class,Rasmus Ojemaye(75kg) and Eromosele Albert(67kg) won
silver medals each (in Victoria Canada)
|
1995
|
* Julius Berger won the Cup Winners'Cup
* In boxing, Duncan Dokiwari(+91kg) won a gold medal, Kehinde
Aweda(54kg) won a silver medal, Daniel Attah(57kg) and
Friday Ahunanya(91kg) won a bronze medal each (in Harare)
* Nigeria finished 11th in the Women's World cup.
|
1996
|
* Nigeria won the Olympic Gold in Atlanta USA
* In boxing, Duncan Dokiwari (+91kg) won a bronze medal (in
Atlanta USA)
|
| 1998 |
* Nigeria had it's 2nd World Cup appearance (made it to the 1/8
Finals)
* Nigeria won the 11th African Athletics Championship in Dakar
(Nigeria collected 23 medals)
* Nigeria finished 1st at the 1998 African Women's Soccer
Championship
|
| 1999 |
* In boxing, Segun Ajose won a gold medal, Jegbefu Albert and
Eromosele Albert won silver medals each (in South Africa)
|
2000
|
* 2000 Olympic
* Africa Cup of Nations
|
| 2002 |
* Japan/Korea 2002 FIFA World Cup
* Africa Cup of Nations
|
| 2004 |
* Africa Cup of Nations
|
| 2006 |
* Africa Cup of Nations
|
| 2008 |
* Africa Cup of Nations
|
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