Nigeria to become first African nation to compete in Invictus Games
Nigeria will be the first African country to compete in this year’s Invictus Games after being named one of the 22 countries set to compete in Düsseldorf, Germany.
The West African country intends to send ten athletes to compete in athletics, indoor rowing, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, and wheelchair basketball.
The Duke of Sussex founded the Invictus Games, an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured, or sick service personnel and veterans.
The Invictus Games Foundation said Nigeria is taking part in the games “thanks to the recognition of the impact of sports recovery on the community in Nigeria”.
Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 and have since had the opportunity to take part in a number of sporting events, the foundation said.
Nigerian Corporal Effiom Antigha, who participated in the Invictus Endeavours Sport Recover Week last year, said that Invictus has “impacted my life greatly”.
He said: “In the past, I felt I was making no progress in my recovery, and I was in a bad place mentally until I was introduced to sport recovery.
“There I discovered things I could still do, things like wheelchair basketball, golf and sitting volleyball which I excelled in so I will say Invictus has impacted my life greatly.
“In my community now, I am helping other wounded soldiers and also introducing them to sports because my road to recovery and self-confidence started with Invictus.”
CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, Dominic Reid, added: “Such was the impact of the opportunities we provide, including within Nigeria, and the support of senior military stakeholders, that we felt the team there were ready and well prepared for joining an Invictus Games.
“I am delighted that an invitation has now been issued for a team of ten wounded, injured or sick service personnel and veterans to attend the Games as the first African nation to do so.”
The 2023 Invictus Games are set to take place in Düsseldorf between 9-16 September.
