Sports
London 2012: Games: NOC, British High Commission Agree On Biometric Data
The British High Commission in Nigeria and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) have agreed on the procedure for the collection of biometric data of athletes, officials and journalists accredited for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
NOC Secretary-General Tunde Popoola, who disclosed this in a statement in Lagos, Lagos week, said biometric data collection was a key part of the accreditation/entry visa processes for the Games.
“In order to accommodate all team members, the collection process has been divided into two phases — Lagos and Abuja,’’ it said.
The statement said the first phase in Lagos would hold on April 26 and was planned to coincide with the celebration of the 100 days to the Olympic Games by the British Government.
It said the event would take place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Apart from the biometric process, the High Commission plans to mark the event with a 100m novelty race for athletes and guests.
“Hence, all athletes and officials are expected to appear in their sports wears. Also, everyone must come with their valid international passports,’’ the statement said.
It said that in the second phase in Abuja, the collection of biometric data would take place on May 3, at the Conference Centre of the Hockey Pitch, Package B, National Stadium.
The Abuja event, it added, was aimed at relieving all accredited persons of the burden of going through regular entry visa processes.
“It is purely for the biometric process, hence all those who are unable to attend in Lagos should avail themselves of this second opportunity to conduct the basic requirement,’’ it said.
The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.
But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.
Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.