Air Peace Immortalises 1976 Olympics

It was both momentous and emotional as the heroes of the 1976 Olympics Games and members of the 1980 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) National Team (Green Eagles) were decorated as Air Peace Sports Diplomacy Ambassadors.

The investiture, which held at Eko Hotel in Lagos, on Friday night, July 28, 2023, was preceded by the unveiling of the newly created Nigerian Institute of International Affairs Sports Diplomacy Wall of Fame with the names of the athletes and players boldly inscribed.

The unveiling and recognition, coming 47 years after the botched Olympic event, was initiated by Air Peace to rekindle the memory of the events at the time and the sacrifices made by the athletes. Nigeria had led other 27 African countries to boycott the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada in protest against the failure of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to withdraw New Zealand from the Games for their ‘romance’ with the Apartheid regime in South Africa.

After preparing for four years, and spending 10 days in the Games Village with other athletes around the world, about a few hours to the commencement of the games, the Nigerian delegation got a call from the then military President, General Olusegun Obasanjo to return to the country. Also, the Green Eagles players who did the nation proud by beating Algeria 3-0 and lifting the 1980 AFCON Cup also benefitted from the Air Peace’s recognition.