AS Nigeria prepares for another milestone outing at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Tribunesport's GANIYU SALMAN here traces the country's journey so far in the competition, which started as the British Empire Games in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada. Nigeria first featured in the Commonwealth Games held in 1950 in Auckland, New Zealand. It was then known as the British Empire Games and Nigeria only paraded seven athletes at the Games who took part only in athletics.It was Nigeria's first full international championship after the attempt to feature in the 1948 Olympic Games in London had failed as a result of late registration. Then, the Amateur Athletics Association of Nigeria now AFN, had not affiliated to either the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or the British Empire Games Association.Seven athletes made the trip to the United Kingdom but by the time they qualified to take part in the Olympics, the registration for the Games had closed.In 1949, British expatriates in Nigeria formed the Nigeria Olympic and British Empire and Commonwealth Games Association (NOBECGA), to serve as a controlling body for sports in Nigeria at international levels. NOBECGA metamorphosed to the National Olympic Committee and now the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), headed by former sports minister, Engineer Sani Ndanusa.NOBECGA got affliated to the IOC and the British Empire and Commonwealth Games Federation (BECGF) which marked the turning point for sports in Nigeria. The Nigerian contingent after the 1948 Olympics returned home to prepare for the next international meet which turned out to be the 1950 Commonwealth Games and was attended by four athletes and one official, Mr Ted Miller, a British official in Nigeria who served as the Team Manager.The 1950 Commonwealth Games gladiators were K.A.B Olowu, B.A Goubadia, Josiah Olatunji Majekodunmi and J.S Olotu. Olowu, captain of the team was Nigeria's long jump champion in 1947 and 1948 and 100 yards champion in 1949 with personal best of 10.00 seconds in 100 yards, and 23 feet nine inches in long jump.Goubadia, from Benin was the country's high jump champion in 1949 with personal best of six feet two inches.Majekodunmi, a former captain of Abeokuta Grammar School Athletics team was Nigeria's high jump champion in 1948, while he had earlier featured in Nigeria versus Gold Coast (Ghana) meet in 1949, and in the AAA Championship held at the White City Stadium, London in 1948. His personal best was six feet two inches in 1949.Olotu, a Police Constable from Warri was pole vault Nigeria police champion in 1948 and a force to reckon with, also in high jump. His personal best in pole vault was 11 feet six inches.The team first landed in London on December 13, 1949 and was received by Team Manager, Miller among others. Three days later, the Nigerian athletes joined their counterparts from England, Scotland and Wales on board to sail on S.S. Tanora from Southhampton to Auckland, New Zealand for the British Empire Games.Interestingly, Majekodunmi of the foursome emerged the first athlete to win a medal (silver) for Nigeria in an international event, following his splended performance in the high jump event. With six feet and five inches jump, Majekodunmi who battled with an injury all through tied with Alan Petterson of Scotland as John Winter of Australia clinched the gold.Majekodunmi's modest achievement was widely celebrated by Nigerians at the Games as it marked the dawn of an era in Nigerian sports.Olowu With 9.9 seconds in 100 yards in a photo finish with Parker, New Zealand champion placed fourth in the semi-final while in long jump, Olowu after an impressive 22 feet 10 and half inches jump could not go further as a result of muscle pull. He however, could not feature in high jump due to an injury.The third member of Team Nigeria, Olotu, had a miserable outing in pole vault, as he was the only competitor without heel spikes thus, had it difficult to cope with the wet and slippery ground. He also used a lighter pole which did not allow him to exert the full pressure of his arm to lift and at the end failed to cross the first hurdle of 10 feet.Nigeria's participation at Auckland 1950 was also the first by a West African colony at the British Empire Games.Findings revealed that the four-man team returned home happily as heroes, as their participation alone turned out to be historic.Ifeajuna becomesNigeria's first gold medallistNIGERIA eventually won its first gold medal at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Vancouver, Canada with Emmanuel Ifeajuna becoming the hero of the Games.Ifeajuna blased the trail in high jump with six feet eight inches jump (2.03 metres), ahead of Ugandan Patrick Etohu as team-mate, Nafio Osagie settled for the bronze medal.Unlike the Auckland 1950 episode, Nigeria finished with seven medals in Vancouver, while 11 athletes and two officials represented the country at the Games.Prior to the Games, Nigeria had improved in terms of organisation, administration, coaching and training of athletes and administrators.Nigeria benefited immensely from the wealth of experience of a black American 1948 Olympic champion in 800 metres, Mal Whitefield, who was invited to give coaching session to the athletes preparing for the Vancouver Games.The 13-man contingent was led by Team Manager, Jack Fansworth and Assistant Team Manager/Coach, Herding Ekperegin.Aside Ifeajuna, K.A.B. Olowu this time won a silver medal in long jump with 24 feet three inches jump; Peter Esiri also won a silver medal in triple jump with 50 and half feet jump; while the third silver medal came through the 4x100 yards relay team of Olowu, Abdul kareem Amu, Edward Ajado and M.A. Arogundade.Nigeria's bronze medallists were Osagie in long jump (six feet, six and half inches); captain of the team and long jumper Sylvanus Williams (23 feet, eight and half inches) and a boxer, Garuba Abubakar Ide who fought in the bantamweight category.Ajado, one of the silver medallists also had a remarkable outing in 100 yards when he beat Australian Hector Hogan in the semi-final, with his personal best of 9.7 seconds. He later narrowly missed a medal in the final having placed fourth.Also, Amu in 200 yards finished sixth in 22.7 seconds in the semi-final while T. A. Erinle also did his best in 100 and 4x100 yards.The impressive performance of Team Nigeria to Vancouver Games was traced largely to the expertise of the trainer, Ekperegin and Peter Cook.
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