The Honourable Minister of Sports development, Senator John Owan Enoh has officially handover 87 team Nigeria athletes qualified for the Olympics Games coming up in Paris to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and Paralympic Committee (PCN) at the VIP Lounge, Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja today July 8, 2024.
During the handover Minister disclosed that the Olympic Games will commence from 26th July to 12th August 2024 and Paralympic Games will start from 28th August to 8th September 2024 and team Nigeria will be participating in twelve (12) Olympic sports discipline and four (4) paralympic sports discipline respectively.
Enoh noted that the Ministry has utilized available resources to ensure that all athletes are well prepared for the games, adding that, to enhance their preparations, athletes and coaches are planned to, at the end of their on-shore training circle, proceed to off-shore training centres in Saarbruken Germany.”
Nigerian athletes have prepared diligently by participating in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the 2023 African Games and various world and Africa Championships. All these events are part of the ministry’s comprehensive preparation for the competition”, he said.
He revealed that President Tinubu has approved all the proposed budget for the success of the Olympic and Paralympic games and urged the athletes to reciprocate the kind gesture by winning medals at the game.
The Minister warned the athletes that the Ministry will not tolerate any misconduct or behavior driven by desperation to win medals and urged them to adhere to the rules and regulations guiding their respective sports.
Enoh admonished the athletes and the officials to be good ambassadors and represent the country well and promised that all credible victories will be duly rewarded. He added that “it is a big expectation for our country men and women that they should do well”.
Delivering the welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports Development, Tinuke Watti extol the athletes who have painstakingly gotten to this prestigious moment of representing the country at the greatest sporting spectacle on planet earth.
She urged the athletes to do the nation proud with their performance and pledged that the nation is fully behind them.
In his remarks, the President, Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Gumel on behalf of Nigerian Olympic Family acknowledged and appreciate the firm commitment of the Federal Government to sports development in Nigeria specifically for the welfare of sports men and women in the country.
He requests that the government is in a better position to encourage the private sector to support sports development even if it has to be done by way of legislation.
In his remarks the President Paralympic, Mr. Sunday Odebode thanked the government for boosting the morale of the Para athletes and promised that they are going to make the nation proud again by doing what they know how to do best.
Present at the event is the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr, Jean Francois Hasperue. He congratulated the nation for being part of the game and wished the athletes success in their outing.
Kehinde Ajayi (Mrs)
Director (Information & PR)
