Team Nigeria Japan camp opens July 3 for Tokyo Olympics

The Federal Ministry of  Youth and Sports Development has unveiled a comprehensive plan for Team Nigeria towards winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

According to the roadmap released by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Nebeolisa Anako on Thursday, the final stage of local camping will take place from May 15 to July 6 in Bayelsa, Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

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Track and Field National Olympics Trials will take place between June 17 and July 19, while the African Athletics Championship takes centre stage from June 22 to 26.

The last phase of the camping will be in Kisarazu, Japan, from July 3 to 23, when the first batch of athletes will enter the Games Village for the Olympics proper.

Nigeria will present about 80 athletes in 10 Sports at the Tokyo Olympics.

Wrestling, taekwondo, table tennis, male and female basketball are some of the events Nigeria have qualified.

Others are track and field, weightlifting and rowing, canoeing and sailing.

Nigeria decided to narrow down her participation to sports where she has competitive advantage in winning medals.

Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare has maintained that Team Nigeria will improve on her performance of the last two Olympics, where she won only two bronze in football and Track and Field.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria female Rowing team departed for Lucerne,  Switzerland, on Wednesday to participate in the final Qualifiers for the Regatta event of the Tokyo Olympics. (NAN)