FG plans befitting burial for Bada, as Lagos pledges support

Posted by admin Headlines Thursday, December 15th, 2011

BY JACOB AJOM

The Federal government of Nigeria will accord the remains of fallen Olympian, Sunday Bada a befitting burial, Vice President, Nnamadi Sambo has said.

Speaking at the 2011 J. K. Randle Olympic Dinner through his representative, Tunde Popoola who is the secretary general of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, the vice president said government was shocked at the demise of the Olympian who had served his country diligently. “Government will do everything possible to ensure Bada is given a befitting burial,”

In the same vain, the Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola through his commissioner for sports, Enitan Oshodi promised “to do our best to support the burial arrangements and the family he left behind.”

Late Sunday Bada.

He said Bada served the Nigeria and Lagos state in particular during his life time and the state would be fully represented at his burial. “Bada was an athlete of great repute and we are proud of his contributions to the development of sports in the state,” the governor’s representative said.

Sunday Bada was born 22 June 1969, in Kogi was a retired Nigerian sprinter who specialized in the 400 metres event.

Bada won three medals at World Indoor Championships, including a gold medal in 1997.

Additionally, he was part of the Nigerian team that won the silver medal in 4 x 400 metres relay at the 2000 Olympics when Nigeria established a national record time of 2:58.68 minutes.

He set his personal best of 44.63 seconds at the 1993 World Championships where he finished fifth. This is the second fastest time by a Nigerian sprinter, after Innocent Egbunike best of 44.17 s.[ Bada’s indoor best of 45.51 secs is the African record for the event.

Until his death on December 12, 2011, Bada was the technical director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.

-Vanguardwp_posts