Air Peace announces rewards for Montreal 76 Olympics, 1980 AFCON heroes

Air Peace

The saying that though it might not happen when it is expected, good deeds are ultimately rewarded in God’s time is about to be fulfilled in the lives of some Nigerian sports heroes, who flew the country’s flag at the ill-fated Montreal 1976 Olympic Games and the 1980 African Cup of Nations.

Nigeria, with so many leading athletes in its squad, alongside 29 other countries pulled out of the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games in protest against the apartheid regime in South Africa and New Zealand’s endorsement of that infamous policy by engaging the Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs’ led country in sports diplomacy.

Although fair-minded world leaders applauded the Africa-led boycott of the Olympics, successive governments or corporate bodies have not mitigated the effect on some of the athletes, whose life ambitions crumbled with the action.

But the heroes’ wait for recognition is about to end with the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame, powered by founder of Air Peace Airlines, Dr. Allen Onyema, set to recognise and thank them for services to their country.

Also listed for recognition at the programme titled, ‘From Olympics’ boycotts to hosting the World- West Africa FIFA World Cup 2034,’ are members of the senior national team, Green Eagles, who in 1980 won the country’s first African Cup of Nations title at the competition hosted by Nigeria.

Speaking at the unveiling of the programme in Lagos, yesterday, Chairman, Air Peace Airlines, Onyema, said he was motivated by the need to show Nigerian youths that they would get their due reward if they served the country diligently, even when such rewards do not come immediately.

He announced that members of the Montreal Olympics team and the