By Joy Odor Abuja, Nigeria
Olympic Gold Medalist and former World Wrestling Champion, Daniel Igali, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure fairness and inclusiveness in the national recognition and reward of Nigerian athletes across all sporting disciplines.
In a passionate and detailed letter titled “Of Eagles, Falcons, and Forgotten Champions: A Plea for Balance in Nigeria’s Sporting Renaissance,” Igali praised the recent gestures by President Tinubu, including cash rewards, national honours, and housing allocations for Nigeria’s women’s national football team, the Super Falcons, and basketball team, D’Tigress, following their recent continental victories.
While commending the government’s new approach to appreciating sports achievements, Igali expressed concern that athletes in other disciplines, despite consistently winning medals for Nigeria at international competitions, have been largely ignored.
“For a nation often accused of turning its back on its sportsmen and women, this felt like a redemptive song. But let us not, in the euphoria of this new dawn, mistake sunlight for daybreak,” Igali wrote.
He highlighted the silence that followed Nigeria’s impressive outing at the 2024 African Games, where athletes clinched dozens of medals, as well as the wrestling team’s record 13th African title in May 2025, achievements that drew little or no presidential recognition.
Citing athletes in wrestling, weightlifting, taekwondo, judo, swimming, and para-sports, Igali warned of the dangers of selective reward, urging a more inclusive and equitable national approach to athlete recognition.
“What we seek is equity, not equal applause; dignity, not dollar-for-dollar equivalence. As long as rewards are drawn from the national purse, our shared patrimony, then surely, it must apply to all who carry the nation’s flag into battle.”
He cautioned that failure to address this imbalance could demoralize hardworking athletes in less-celebrated sports and potentially lead to apathy or withdrawal from future competitions.
Igali also underscored the importance of supporting athletes during their preparation phases, not only celebrating their victories.
He acknowledged the ongoing restructuring of the National Sports Commission under leaders like Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, expressing optimism about the future of Nigerian sports if inclusivity remains a priority.
“Let every child who picks up a javelin or a skipping rope or a canoe paddle feel, deep in their spirit, that this land sees them, honours them, and will not forget them.”
Igali’s letter is widely seen as a call to action for both federal and state governments, as well as private stakeholders, to adopt a holistic and fair system that values and rewards all Nigerian athletes, regardless of the popularity of their sport.
As Nigeria continues to celebrate its recent sporting successes, his message serves as a reminder that behind every medal is a story that deserves to be seen and heard.
