Minister of Sports Sunday Dare Appoints Mary Onyali Special Adviser

Minister of Sports Sunday Dare Appoints Mary Onyali Special Adviser

By Niyi Busari

The Honourable Minister of Sports Sunday Dare has appointed Chief Mary Onyali, as Special Adviser on Sports, BSNSports.com.ng can report..

The minister on Tuesday officially announced the appointment during a meeting with the National Olympic Committee, NOC, Executive members with Mary in attendance.

Mary Onyali is a Nigerian former sprinter , who won the bronze medal in the 4 × 100 meters relay at the 1992 Olympic Games and in the 200 meters at the 1996 Olympic Games. She also won the 1994 Commonwealth Games 100 metres title.

Onyali performed especially well in the All-Africa Games, winning a total of 7 individual medals in the short sprints. She won 100 m in 1991 , 1995 and 2003 and took a bronze medal in 1987 . She won Gold medals in 200 m were taken in 1987, 1995 and 2003.

Furthermore, the Nigerian 4 × 100 m relay team won all races between 1987 and 2003, at the African Games.

Mary Onyali, by the time of the 2000 Olympics was known as Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, having married fellow Nigerian sprinter Victor Omagbemi.

Her consecutive Olympic appearances from 1988 to 2004 made her the first Nigerian to compete at five Olympics . This feat was equalled by table tennis players Bose Kaffo and Segun Toriola four years later in Beijing , PR China

Mary Onyali before his appointment as Special Advise to the minister of sports has served as the Special Adviser (Technical) to the Director General of the National Sports Commission in Nigeria, and was a part of the consultation committee for the proposed Sports University of Nigeria, Idumuje-Ugboko.