African Youth Games: Nigerians Shooters Depart For Algiers

NIGERIAN SHOOTERS DEPART FOR ALGIERS AYG. By Eche Amos No fewer than three officials and seven athletes made up of rifle and pistol shooters departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in the evening, yesterday, aboard Turkish Airlines to participate at the 3rd African Youth Games in Algiers, Algeria. Though one of the athletes and arms-bearer were unable to make the trip with the team yesterday due to minor hitches on their International Passports, they would, however, join the last batch of the Nigerian Shooting Federation(NSF) delegation made up of the NSF President, Brigadier General Lonsdale Adeoye(rtd), and a few board members who would depart the shores of the Country aboard Turkish Airlines, with a stop-over in Istanbul, Capital of Turkey, before connecting Houari Boumediene Airport(Algerian International Airport), Algiers, Algeria. Speaking to the Media Officer of the Nigerian Shooting Federation (NSF), Eche Amos and Saheed Oladimeji (Armed Forces Radio), at the Departure Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Brigadier General Adeoye said shooting being part of the 24 sports Team Nigeria would be taking to the Algiers' Games is one of the best things to happen to the sport since his assumption of office as President and sees it as a budding ground ahead of the third edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) which holds from 6 to 18 October, 2018, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America. He said they have selected the best coaches and athletes to represent Nigeria at the event and assured of improving on the medals' haul for the country. Brigadier General Lonsdale Adeoye used the opportunity to thank the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Minister, Permanent Secretary, Director of Grassroots Sports as well as the Media for ensuring the inclusion of shooting sport among the sports Team Nigeria would feature in at the Games. He promised to justify the confidence reposed in the Federation, its coaches and athletes. Team Nigeria is made up of 280 athletes and 136 officials, including coaches and officials of 24 sports, secretaries, medical and anti- doping personnel, referees and umpires, physiotherapists, chaperones and psychologists. The African Youth Games commences from 18th to 28th July, 2018, in Algiers, Algeria.