3 top athletes to come out of Nigeria

 

Sport is huge throughout Africa and nowhere is this highlighted more than Nigeria. There is no doubting how popular watching sport is in the country and how many Nigerians love keeping tabs on what is happening in the latest games or events. It is not just watching top sports that people in the country get a kick from, though.

 

Sports betting is also something many Nigerians get involved with and use to add even more excitement to catching matches, races or other sporting events. The range of safe sportsbooks to bet with in Nigeria has helped sports betting flourish, as has the varied bonuses these sites offer. The N1bet bonus code is a great example and shows just what the best Nigerian sportsbooks give to customers in terms of extras.

 

The range of sports to follow is also something that makes them popular in Nigeria, and athletics is a case in point. Over the years, the country has produced many fine athletes – but who are three of the best?

 

Chioma Ajunwa

 

Although she started off playing football for the Super Falcons,Chioma Ajunwa found her true calling in athletics. This saw her become the very first Olympic gold medalists from Nigeria, in 1996. While Ajunwa started out as a100m sprinter, she soon switched to the long jump. Excelling at this event, she not only won an Olympic gold but also the gold at the 1989 African Championships and the 1991 All Africa Games.

 

Falilat Ogunkoya

 

Sports in Nigeria are tremendously popular and this is helped by the exploits of famous athletes such as Falilat Ogunkoya. This famous Nigerian lives long in the memory because she was the first individual from the country to win a track and field medal at the Olympics.

 

In addition to this, Ogunkoya is one of the few Nigerian athletes to have multiple Olympic medals in her locker – a bronze in the women’s 400m at the 1996 Olympics and a silver in the 4x400m relay at the same games. As well as Olympic glory, Falilat was a multiple gold medal winner at the African Championships/African Games during her career.

 

Mary Onyali-Omagbemi

 

Famous Nigerian athletes do not come more well-known than this five-time Olympian. Onyali-Omagbemi’s fabulous career saw her compete at Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

 

While she competed well in all the Olympics she appeared at, the bronze she won in the 4x400m relay in Barcelona and the bronze in the women’s 200m at Atlanta stand out the most. When you also consider she was a six-time All Africa Games winner and a multiple Commonwealth Games medal winner, you can understandwhy she makes it onto our list.

 

Nigeria is a hotbed for athletics

 

As the above shows, Nigeria is not only a country in love with athletics but one thathas a proven track record of producing top athletes. If the next generation coming into the sport can match what their predecessors have done, it will be an exciting time for the sport moving forward.