Gangwon 2024: Nigeria’s curling pioneers hopeful that historic Youth Olympic participation will inspire the next generation
The ‘Broomzillas’ became the first curlers from the African continent to compete in the sport at a Winter Olympic event. Despite not being able train on ice in Nigeria yet, the team members are optimistic about the future.
Curling
Nigeria’s curling mixed team quickly became the darlings of the Youth Winter Olympic Games, Gangwon 2024.
And their participation brought a new energy to the Gangneung Curling Centre.
“The best thing is just playing a game and seeing people around the world clapping and cheering for Nigeria,” Fatiu Danmola told Olympics.com during his Youth Olympic competition.
Before Gangwon 2024, the team was given the nickname the ‘Broomzillas’. A nickname the Nigerians have cherished. “It is a name that motivates us,” skip Goodnews Charles said.
Although the team weren't able to make it out of the round robin stage, suffering seven losses in as many pool games against, the young Africans are focussing on the many positives from their time in the Republic of Korea.
“It has been a nice experience for us. It helped us to play with experienced players and to build our confidence,” Nkoyo Oku explained.
“Being the first African nation to compete at the Youth Winter Olympics in curling, it makes me feel very happy to be part of the people, making this happen,” Oluwanimifise Wale-Adeogun added.
Nigeria mixed curling team: Training without ice is the biggest challenge
It has not been an easy path for the Nigerian curling teams to get to the Youth Winter Olympic Games.
Besides the lack of funding that almost meant the curlers in the mixed team and mixed doubles events were unable to participate at Gangwon 2024, the team have another difficulty – they cannot practice in their home country on the surface used in the sport.
“We don’t have ice. We train on a synthetic surface," Charles said. The thing we do the most is, we usually brush like for maybe ten minutes. The biggest challenge is that we don't have the equipment and the facilities.”
“It's so difficult, but we don't give up,” emphasises Danmola.
In fact, the Gangwon Youth Olympics was only the second time ever that the team played on ice. The first was at the World Junior-B Curling Championships in Finland two years ago.
Skip Goodnews Charles at the Youth Winter Olympic Games Gangwon 2024.
Nigerian mixed curling team: “Anything is possible"
The results in the Republic of Korea showed that there is still a long way to go if they're to challenge the best teams in the world, but the Nigerian curlers remain in good spirits.
“In the future, maybe when we are all older, we will be able to play and qualify to the Olympics as well,” said Nkoyo Oku.
But more important for the 'Broomzillas' is the message that they want to send at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
“We want to inspire the young generations to make the sport larger in Nigeria," Danmola stated. "That's my future ambition. We don't have winter in Africa and in Nigeria, so it would be a great thing bringing more winter sports to Africa, give young Africans opportunity to practice winter sports and make them good people in life."
“They can see that it is possible, even though we don’t have ice, we don’t have the fundings. Anything is possible,” concludes Oluwanimifise Wale-Adeogun.
Nigeria will also have a team participating in the mixed doubles event at Gangwon 2024. The competition starts on 26 January and ends on 1 February, with coverage live on Olympics.com and the official Olympics app for free worldwide and without subscription.