A Tale of a 'Dream Team', a Bronze medal and a Japanese surgeon....

Congratulations are in order for the Nigerian U-23 team! Their road to the bronze medal was not easy but thanks to goals from Sadiq Umar, and from Aminu Umar, the team went past Honduras to win the bronze medal.

I mean the Nigerian contingent really had it rough this year. First, they found it difficult to get the needed transport fare to Brazil with most athletes resorting to opening Gofundme accounts. Then to make matters worse, the Football team was stranded a day to their first game and had to play 6 hours after landing ( and the wrong anthem was played for them)

And who can forget walking past in tracksuits because the official kits did not make it down in time??!

So while we may only have bronze, we can say we got it against all odds.

It is one of the reasons Japanese surgeon Katsuya Takasu promised to give the team cash gifts if they won a medal.

Takasu is a member of Japan Medical Association, Japan Society of Aesthetic Surgery, Japanese Association of Cosmetic Surgeons, Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery amongst others.

He was appointed as a visiting professor of cosmetic surgery at Showa University School of Medicine in 2011.

He is also in the Guinness Book of Records for the most golf holes played by a pair in 12 hours cart. 

I'm off to critically examine my family tree as i am sure he is my grandpa!

Rio Olympics 2016: A tribute to the Nigerian spirit

The Rio Olympics for team Nigeria has been a study in courage and loyalty. First it began with the news that the athletes could not get transport to the Olympics.

Then the news that some athletes had to go on social media and use Gofundme to raise money for transport. Eventually, the Nigerian football team got stranded in Atlanta.

Then on the day of the opening ceremony, the team came out in tracksuits because their official attires, were not finished on time.

Think we are done? No. On the day of the first Nigerian football match, the wrong anthem was played, leaving the team, confused.

All this would be enough to demoralize anyone, yet the Nigerian team has stayed strong. Segun Toriola crashed out in the second round, but not after he became the first African to make seven appearances at Olympics table tennis events.

Aruna Quadri became the first African to reach the quarterfinals of men’s singles event at Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where he eventually lost to the Ma Long the number one tennis player in the world.

Chierika Ukogu a medical student  is Nigeria’s first ever rower in the Olympics to have got this far. She came fifth in the third quarterfinal of the Women’s single sculls rowing event.

The Nigerian football team with Mikel Obi as captain have stayed strong, beating Sweden to qualify for the quarterfinals.

In all it has been a wonderful outing, the Nigerian team has showed that it has the Nigerian spirit, the spirit to push hard and remain strong despite obstacles.