Tour de France winner, Briton Bradley Wiggins, rang the largest harmonically tuned bell in the world to start the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony.
All four (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) countries of the UK were represented in song, as the show capturing the best of Britain began.
The spectacle will be viewed by a TV audience of one billion people.
Reuters reports that among the 60,000-strong audience in the Olympic Park are celebrities, ordinary Londoners, dignitaries including America’s First Lady Michelle Obama as well as presidents, prime ministers and European royalty.
More than a billion people around the world are estimated to be watching the official start to 17 days of drama involving more than 16,000 athletes from 204 countries.
Chef de Mission Dave Currie is delighted with the turnout and earlier only 39 were expected to take part because others are due to compete in the early part of the Games.
There were loud cheers as the crowd saw a film featuring an unlikely meeting between the Queen and the 007 agent.
The film featuring the encounter between Bond and the monarch at Buckingham Palace prompted much laughter and cheers.
“Good evening Mr Bond,” the Queen said in the clip, before they leave together, apparently heading towards the Olympic Stadium in a helicopter.
A helicopter then flew over the stadium to the sound of the Bond theme tune, as two figures parachuted down, one dressed as the monarch.
No fewer than a 116 Team Nigeria contingent would represent the country in eight sports codes at the 2012 London Olympic Games, scheduled for between July 27 and Aug. 12 in London. The team would be expected to access the Games Village in London from their bases in Germany and Surrey, England
According to the contingent list released by the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) in Lagos at the conclusion of the Delegation Registration Meeting (DRM), they would be made up of 55 athletes, 12 coaches, 29 administrative officials and nine medical personnel.
Others were five contingent officials and six secretariat official.
The eight sports are: — Athletics, Basketball, Boxing Canoeing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting and Wrestling. Athletics would be represented by 49 persons, 29 athletes, 14 coaches and two administrative staff; Basketball with a team of 16, 12 players, two coaches and two accompanying officials.
Boxing had a total of seven – three boxers, two coaches and two accompanying officials. Others are: Canoeing to be represented by four – an athlete, a coach and two administrative staff; Table Tennis (eight), four athletes – two coaches and two accompanying officials; Taekwondo (six), two practitioners, two coaches and two administrative staff.
The rest are: weightlifting (5), two weightlifters, a coach and two other officials; Wrestling (seven), four wrestlers, a coach and two administrative officers, while the contingent officials (20), six from the NOC, nine medical personnel and five other officials.
The comprehensive list is as follows:
TEAM LIST – NIGERIAN DELEGATION
ATHLETICS – Women
100m Women
1. Blessing Okagbare
2. Gloria Asumnu
3. Lawretta Ozoh
200m Women
1. Gloria Asumnu
2 Lawretta Ozoh
3. Christy Udoh
400m Women
1. Regina George
2. Omolara Omotosho
400m H Women
1. Ajoke Odumosu
High Jump Women
1. Doreen Amata
Long Jump
1. Blessing Okagbare
Shot Put
1. Vivian Chukwuemeka
Hepthatlon
1. Uhunoma Naomi Osazuwa
Marathon
1. Esther Obiekwe
100m H Women
1. Seun Adigun
4 x 100m Women
1. Blessing Okagbare
2. Gloria Sunmu
3. Lawretta Ozoh
4. Oluwadamola Osayomi
5. Wisdom Isoken
6. Christy Udoh
4 x 400m Women
1. Regina George
2. Omolara Omotosho
3. Bukola Abogunloko
4. Endurance Abinuwa
5. Idara Otu
6. Margaret Etim
ATHLETICS – Men
100 m Men
1. Obinna Joseph Metu
2. Ogho Oghene Egwero
3. Peter Emelieze
110 H Men
1. Selim Nurudeen
400 m H Men
1. Ameadi Morton
Long Jump
Triple Jump
1. Oluwatosin Oke
Probation – 200m Men
1. Noah Akwu
2. Stanley Azie
100m H Women
1. Jessica Ohanaja
2. Stanley Gbageke
Officials
1. Yusuf Alli
2. Innocent Egbunike (Head Coach)
3. Nat Page
4. Gabriel Okon
5. Christopher Doomes
6. Garfield Ellenwood (Personal)
7. Ken Onuagulichi (Persoanl)
8. Paul Obodochima (Personal)
9. Daniel Etsebimor (Personal)
10. Oluyomi Sule (Personal)
11. Gabriel Opuana (Personal)
12. Solomon Aliu (Personal)
13. Sunday Uti (Personal)
14. Falilat Ogunkoya (Personal)
15. Maria Wophill – Admin. Personnel
16. Chief Solomon Ogba – Team Leader
BASKETBALL
1. Oyedeji Olumide
2. Diogu Ikechukwu Somto
3. Oruche Richard Dean Chukwuma
4. Ugboaja Ejike
5. Dagunduro Adeola Adedokun
6. Oguchi Chamberlain Nnaemeka
7. Aminu Abdul Alade
8. Ibekwe Ekenechukwu
9. Archibong Aniekan Okon
10. Aminu Al Farouk
11. Obasohan Derrick Osamuuyi
12. Skinn Anthony Oludewa
13. Ayodele Bakare – Head Coach
14. Sani Ahmed- Coach
15. Francis Gbiri- Admin. Personnel
16. Tijjani Umar – Team Leader
BOXING
1. Akanji Muideen Olalekan- 75kg
2. Lawal Lukmon Olaiwola – 81kg
3. Ogoke Edith Agu (Female) – 75kg
4. Idika Nsofor – Coach
5.Anthony Konyegwachie – Coach
6. Patrick Uwagbale- Admin. Personnel
7. Major-Gen. Tobiah Minimah – Team Leader
CANOEING
1. Jonathan Peter Akinyemi – K1 Slalom
2. Ebenezer Ukwunna – Coach
3. Olubunmi Oluode – Admin.
Personnel
4. Rear Adm. Festus Porbeni
– Team Leader
TABLE TENNIS
Male
1. Aruna Quadri
2. Segun Toriola
Female
1. Edem Offiong
2. Olufunke Oshonaike
Officials
1. Nosiru Bello – Coach
2. Richard Edem – Coach
3. Segun Oguntade
– Admin. Personnel
4. Alhaji Kayode Abdulwahab Omotose Team Leader
TAEKWONDO
1. Chika Chukwumerije – +80 kg
2. Isa Mohammed – -68 kg
3. Keum Silwan – Coach
4. Carl Lewis Langan – Coach
5. Chinedu Ezealah – Admin. Personnel
6. Chief Jonathan Nnaji – Team Leader
WEIGHTLIFTING
1. Ekpo Felix Cobham – 77kg
2. Usman Maryam (Female) – +75kg
3. Patrick Bassey – Coach
4. Uche Onwumeh – Admin. Personnel
5. Mr. Chimdi Ejiogu – Team Leader
WRESTLING
Male
1. Boltic Sinivie – 96kg Freestyle
2. Dick Adibo – 84kg Freestyle
Female
1. Obiajunwa Amarachi – 72kg Freestyle
2. Oborodudu Blessing – 63kg Freestyle
Officials
1. Daniel Igali – Coach
2. Olumide Bamiduro – Admin. Personnel
3. Austin Edeze – Team Leader
CONTINGENT OFFICIALS
1. Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi – Hon. Minister of Sports & Leader of Delegation
2. Engr. Sani Mohammed Ndanusa – President Nigeria Olympic Committee
3. Chief (Dr) Sir Patrick Ekeji – Chef de Mission
4. Hon. Babatunde Popoola – Secretary-General, NOC
5. Mr. Alhassan Yakmut – Deputy Chef de Mission
MEDICAL TEAM
1. Dr. Abdulkadir Mu’azu – Team Doctor & Head Medical
2. Dr. Hirekaan Lazarus – Team Doctor
3. Dr. Ibrahim Gyaran – Team Doctor
4. Dr. Ken Anugweje – Team Doctor
5. Mr. Oladipo Odunuga – Physiotherapist
6. Mr. Ekundayo Ogunkule – Physiotherapist
7. Mr. Kayode Abdulsalam – Physiotherapist
8. Miss Judith Enebe – Physiotherapist
9. Mrs. Nneka Eze – Nurse
SECRETARIAT
1. Manufor Hellen Administrative Personnel
2. Emmanuel Nweri Administrative Personnel
3. Augustine Odijie Administrative Personnel
4. Tony Ubani Press Attache
5. Emmanuel Igbinosa Administrative Personnel
6. Olalekan Alabi Administrative Personnel