Deaf Eagles welcomed home with honours after maiden world championships appearance

Players and staff of the Deaf Eagles pose for a photograph with the Sports Minister, John Eno (standing 8th from left). Photo: FMSD.

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, on Tuesday welcomed back Nigeria’s Men’s deaf football team, also called the “Deaf Eagles”, in Abuja, after their participation at the World Deaf Football Championships that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The minister hailed the team for their outing as they made Nigeria proud. Nigeria was a first time participant at the Championships, which is now in its fourth edition.

“I congratulate you all for representing Nigeria at the World Championships, as we made our first appearance since 2008 when this tournament started,” the Minister said. “In three previous editions, Nigeria was not represented, but for the first time ever, the Nigerian flag was hoisted at the Games courtesy of your hard work. This deserves that we appreciate and commend you.”

Enoh added that sports remains the greatest tool for social inclusion, with its ability to engender diversity, equity and inclusion in the society.

“There is no greater demonstration of the social inclusiveness of sports than having a deaf team travel to represent Nigeria,” he noted. “It is in sports that you find that there is no discrimination whatsoever. By finishing 11th at the world championships, this team has placed Nigeria on the world map. As a country, on the behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we celebrate your uncommon love and sacrifice for our nation.”

To foster the development of deaf sports, the minister stated that he will work with relevant administrators to ensure deaf sports gets an assured place in the National Sports Festival. He added