Team Nigeria’s quest for medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil received a boost yesterday when Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, received the approval of the IOC for 12.

Nigerian elite athletes to benefit from the Rio 2016 Scholarship for Athletes programme.

Secretary General of the NOC, Hon Tunde Popoola said that the Scholarship for the athletes was a good incentive that would allow the athletes to prepare well with the best facilities and challenge for medals in Brazil. The beneficiaries would also be paid an unspecified amount of money from now till the Rio Olympics.

One of the athletes was later dropped on grounds of being involved in doping.

The eleven approved beneficiaries include speedster Blessing Okagabare (Athletics), Nneka Reginald (Athletics), Ese Brume (Athletics), Christian Amechi Morton (Athletics), and Divine Oduduru.

Others are Maryam Usman (Weightlifting), Victoria O. Adesanmi (Weightlifting), Aruna Quadri (Table Tennis), Edem Offiong(Table Tennis), Jonathan Akinyemi (Canoe/Kayaki) and Adekuoroye Odumayo (Wrestling).

Nine Nigerian elite athletes also benefited from the London 2012 Olympic Scholarship for athletes.

The Nigerian athletes were selected through the nomination of the Nigeria Olympic Committee with their various sports federations.