HISTORY OF GYMNASTICS IN NIGERIA

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Origins in Traditional Culture

Gymnastics in Nigeria is as old as our culture. In different parts of the country, acrobatic gymnastics has been practiced day in, day out, but it is more prominent in the former Mid-Western and Western regions, as well as the Eastern part of Nigeria. In these areas, gymnastics is incorporated into traditional dances, especially the igbabonelimi of the Ishans in Edo State.

The 1974 Chinese Exchange Programme

Competitive, structured gymnastics did not begin in Nigeria until 1974, when Chinese coaches were invited by the federal government on an exchange programme through the then National Sports Commission, under Major-General Henry Adefowope (rtd.).

Sometime in September 1974, the Chinese coaches visited a number of primary and secondary schools in Lagos State to scout for talented, able-bodied students between the ages of 9 and 12. About two hundred students were selected from the schools visited and were assembled at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, for training.

After about two months of rigorous training, the number of young students was narrowed down from two hundred to ten boys, who formed Nigeria's first national gymnastics team. Among these ten were Sadiq Momodu (captain), Jimoh Sunmola (assistant captain), Akabon Aki, Ebong Okon, Ita Okon, Oladipo Olaosebikan, Fatai Ogunsola, and Oluwatoba Ganiu.


Founding of the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria

The overall governing body for gymnastics in Nigeria is the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria (GFN), founded in 1975. It is a member of the International Federation of Gymnastics and was established with the goal of "an all-around development of gymnastics in Nigeria and beyond."

The National Gymnastics Association was formally inaugurated in 1975 by the then National Sports Commission. The first chairman of the association was the late Professor Amos T. Oduyale, the first secretary was Miss Yemisi Alalade, and the first indigenous coach was Mr. Ezekiel Adeoti. The Chinese coaches who supported the early programme were Mr. Chin, followed by Mr. Chang Lee and Mr. Suu.

Following the inauguration, an awareness drive took the young gymnasts to different parts of the country to demonstrate the sport to the Nigerian public. These demonstrations typically took place during national or international championships held around the country, or during the National Sports Festivals, as non-scoring exhibitions.

The Development of the Game

Gymnastics became a scoring event at the 5th All-Africa Games in Cairo, Egypt, in 1991. Nigeria was represented by a male and a female team, winning 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal to finish 3rd overall.

Nigeria went on to send 2 gymnasts to the World Individual Gymnastics Championship in Paris in 1992, and a team to the World Championship in Birmingham, Great Britain. In 1994, Nigeria sent a team of 4 boys to represent the country at the Commonwealth Games held in Victoria, Canada.

Nigeria's First Olympian

Uche Eke is the first gymnast to compete for Nigeria at the Olympic Games. He qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics (postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and held in Tokyo, Japan) by winning a bronze medal in the all-around at the African Championships in Cairo, Egypt, becoming the first gymnast from Nigeria, in any discipline, to earn an Olympic berth. His qualification marked a historic milestone for the sport in the country, nearly five decades after that first group of ten boys formed Nigeria's national team in 1974.

Uche Eke representing Nigeria at the Olympics
How to reference this article: 
Ademola, V. D. (2019). History of gymnastics in Nigeria. Retrieved from https://www.youdread.com/2019/05/history-of-gymnastics-in-nigeria.html

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