Paris 2024: Amusan named Nigeria’s flagbearer for opening ceremony of Olympics

Tobi Amusan has been named Team Nigeria’s flagbearer for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In a statement on Tuesday, Tony Nezianya, Nigeria’s Olympic Committee’s (NOC) spokesman, announced that Anuoluwapo Opeyori, Africa’s number one badminton player, will be the captain of Team Nigeria at the Games.

Amusan will be the first track and field athlete to be named Nigeria’s Olympic flagbearer since Mary Onyali in Athens in 2004.

The 27-year-old, who holds the world record in women’s 100m hurdles, will be one of Nigeria’s brightest medal prospects in Paris.

An Olympic medal remains the only major laurel missing from her impressive hurdling career after claiming the world championship in 2022 and winning multiple Diamond League trophies and Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Similarly, Anuoluwapo Opeyori, a seasoned badminton player representing Nigeria since 2017, has been selected as team captain.

The 26-year-old boasts impressive credentials, including victories in the 2019 African Championships and Games singles events.