Sports Minister, John Enoh, yesterday in Abuja charged the Nigerian delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to be good ambassadors of the country while competing for laurels at the Games.
The minister also urged the contingent to strive for podium performance at the Games, emphasising the importance of hard work and dedication.
Speaking before handing over the contingent to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) in Abuja, yesterday, the minister said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fully approved the budget for the Games, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to excellence in sports.
“We have no excuse whatsoever,” said Enoh. “The President has approved the entire budget for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, so it is up to us to try to reciprocate the goodwill of the President and give him reasons to continue to do more. It is not the first time he has done this.
“In December, he did the same for our male and female football teams by paying backlogs of salaries. He has done the same for our contingent going to the Olympics and Paralympics.”
The minister highlighted the importance of the foreign training tours for different sports, aimed at ensuring the physical, technical, and tactical readiness of the athletes for the Games.
“Given the effort of both the government and the ministry, as well as well-meaning agencies, it is important that the athletes involved in this national call of duty regard themselves as performing an ambassadorial function, as ambassadors of Nigeria. We expect discipline, honesty, commitment, and responsibility to perform creditably well for podium placements.
“Our expectations are high, and given my interactions with our athletes, I have no doubt that these expectations will be met,” he said.
At the handing over ceremony were the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports Development, Atinuke Watti, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) President, Habu Gumel, President of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, Charge d’Affaire of the France Embassy in Nigeria and sports federations’ presidents, among others.
The ceremony also featured the official unveiling of Team Nigeria’s kits to be used in Paris.
Among the kits unveiled at the ceremony were the team’s track suit, windcheater, brownshorts, black shorts, white t-shirt, green round neck t-shirt, canvas, slippers, face cap, stockings, big trolley bag, hand luggage, back pack and water bottle, as well as small and big towels.
