Shooting will feature at the 2024 NYG as a medal counting sport according to the President of Nigeria Shooting Federation, Captain Bamidele Ayoade.
Ayoade stated this during the closing ceremony of the 2024 National Open Shooting Championship sponsored by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
An elated Ayoade told www.aclsports.com that the Main Organising Committee of the NYG has finally agreed to make shooting a medal counting sport after the Shooting Federation met all the criteria needed.
He said, “The Nigeria Shooting Federation have been able to meet all the criteria listed by the Federal Ministry of Sports Development and it has been confirmed that medals won will count. At the last National Youth Games in Delta state, the young shooters were able to demonstrate their skill and some of them participated at the just concluded National Shooting Championship”.
Ayoade revealed that the NSF were able to set up a shooting range; making it one of the best National Championships in recent times.
He said, “I am very delighted to say that this is one of the best national championships I have attended in recent times because against all odds the Shooting Federation held the event. We were able to set up a range where everyone was happy and the level of fairness has brought people together.
“Despite reducing the number of events, we have shown that shooting has a lot to offer in terms of medals if investments are made in the game of shooting. The Nigeria Shooting Federation has been able to show that we have more than 54 gold medals available if we invest in the sport ahead of the Olympic Games.
“I assure you that in time to come, the shooting sport will present a large number of medals to Nigeria and we have only just started and we will get there one day”.
Nigeria Army won a total of 9 medals consisting of 6 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze to finish first position at the end of the five-day National Championship held at the indoor sports hall of Moshood Abiola Stadium (Package B) in Abuja.
