BEVERLY HILLS, May 19, (THEWILL) – In April this year, the World Para Athletics updated its 2021 competition calendar, including the dates for the World Para Athletics Grand Prix and the European Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland after the Paris 2021 Grand Prix, initially scheduled to take place at the beginning of May, was cancelled.
As participants in the events of these competitions, Nigeria sent her contingent of 10 athletes and two coaches to participate when the Grand Prix season moved to Nottwil, Switzerland, for the week-long championship from 11 to 17 May based on the 2021 calendar.
The team that represented the country returned home on Monday onboard a Qatar Airline plane having ended their participation on a high note. The proud athletes earned a remarkable collection of 15 medals, 11 of which were gold and the rest silver to cap a truly superlative showing.
Flora Ugwunwa, Nigeria’s multi-gold medalist competing in F54-classification events, led the medals haul with three gold medals on her own and the other gold medals came from her compatriots Edosomwan Osahon, Chituru Nwaozuzu, Ahiaukwu Joy, Amon Abraham, Eucharia Iyiazi, Onyegbule Lovina and Lauretta Onye.
While Chituru Nwaozuzu and Eucharia Iyiazi also took home silver medals inclusive of their gold, Michael Olushola, won two silver medals in the Nottwil, Switzerland competition that also served the dual-purpose of being a Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games qualifier.
Amobi Chikwendu, President of the Nigeria Para-Athletics Federation, congratulated the athletes, and their coaches Patrick Anaeto and Divine Jemerigbe, for making Nigeria proud on the global stage. He also expressed some gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare for his support.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
