Victor EzejaChairman of Air Peace airline, Allen Onyema, has honoured Nigerian sports heroes of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada and the Golden Eagles of the 1980 African Cup of Nations for their sacrifices to the country.
In a ceremony held during the weekend at Eko Hotel, Lagos, Onyema decorated them as Air Peace Sports Diplomacy Ambassadors with free domestic tickets for life and one free international ticket yearly as well as N1.5 million each in cash rewards.
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The award ceremony was preceded by the unveiling of the Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame with the names of the athletes boldly inscribed in gold at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Wall of Fame, also donated by Air Peace airline.
This gesture comes 47 years after Nigeria boycotted the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games in protest against the Apartheid regime in South Africa.
The 45 athletes were already in Montreal for the 1976 Olympics when Nigeria and 26 other countries pulled out from the Games, making the athletes return without participating.
Speaking at the award ceremony, Air Peace Chairman said the heroes deserved to be honoured because they have made sacrifices for the nation. He added that such a gesture would help to send a message to other Nigerian youths not to be discouraged from making sacrifices for the nation.
He said: “I’m so happy seeing the smiles on the faces of our national heroes that have been forgotten for so long. They have sacrificed a lot for their nation. I felt that it would be wise to honour them in other to encourage the youths of today, knowing full well that if they do good for the country, they will someday be celebrated.”
“These heroes deserve great honour for returning to Nigeria without causing any problems, without seeking asylum in Canada after the country had been withdrawn,” the Air Peace CEO added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
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