Nigeria at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
| Nigeria at the 2008 Summer Paralympics |
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| IPC code | NGR | ||||||||
| NPC | Nigeria Paralympic Committee | ||||||||
| in Beijing | |||||||||
| Competitors | 28 in 4 sports | ||||||||
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Medals Ranked 30th |
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| Officials | 14 | ||||||||
| Summer Paralympics appearances | |||||||||
Nigeria sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The country was represented by 28 athletes competing in four sports: powerlifting, table tennis, wheelchair tennis and track and field. The Nigerian team included eight powerlifters.
In many parts of Black Africa, people who have disabilities that include insanity, and physical disabilities such as impairments and deformities often face cultural barriers to participation because of attitudes related to their disabilities. These include beliefs that they acquired their disabilities because their parents were witches or they are wizards. Their disability is often seen as a result of a personal failing on their part. As such, there is often tremendous cultural pressure for people with physical disabilities to remain hidden and out of the public eye. In many places, they are perceived to be monsters in need of healing. This is the context to which Nigerian Paralympians engage both society and sport internally, in their own country.
The Nigerian Paralympic delegation left the Games having won more medals than their Olympic counterparts.
Lucy Ejike competed in the women's under 48 event, setting a pair of world records in the process of winning gold. One of her world record lifts was 130 kg.
Nigeria was represented in table tennis by Segun Toriola. These were Toriola's fifth Paralympic Games.
The Nigerian wheelchair tennis team consisted of a single competitor, 19-year-old Wasiu Yusuf. Yusuf qualified for the Games through a wildcard awarded to him for winning the ITF Silver Fund Cup for Africa in October 2007. He participated in the men's singles event in Beijing and was knocked out in the first round by a loss to Stefan Olsson of Sweden.
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