Sports

2020 Olympic: Team Nigeria Gets Presidential Send Forth

Published

4 years ago

July 12, 2021

The Gleamer

…Go and Make Nigeria Proud-FG

…New Kits Unveiled

Joel Ajayi

With just 10 day to the commencement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Nigerians have been assured of an impressive outing by Team Nigeria.

Speaking during the Unveiling of Team Nigeria kits and handing over of the athletes to the Nigerian Olympic committee at the State House Abuja on Monday, Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare said “As you all are aware, the preparations for the Olympics and Paralympics began long before the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the organizers of both events to postpone the Games to 23 July and 24 August 2021, respectively. These athletes will be flying the colours of our great country, Nigeria, in Tokyo in the coming days.”

“I want to use this opportunity to sincerely thank Mr. President and the members of the National Assembly for the unwavering support in terms of resources and provision of an enabling environment that made it possible for these athletes to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”

Dare disclosed that Nigeria qualified in Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Canoeing, Gymnastics, Rowing, Taekwondo, Table Tennis and Wrestling. For the Paralympic Games, Para Powerlifting, Para Athletics, Para Rowing and Para Table-Tennis all qualified. In all, a total of 58 athletes will be competing for glory in the Olympic Games and 22 athletes for the Paralympic Games, respectively.”

He further stated: “In a very clear departure from the past, athletes of Team Nigeria have been in camp for the past two months in an intensive and extensive training program in ensuring that our esteemed athletes are physically fit for the Games. As the team departs for Japan, it will head straight to Kisarazu for another two weeks for the offshore final camping exercise before the commencement of the Tokyo Olympic Games.”

The Minister expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for his moral and financial support.

“All these would not have been possible without the support of Mr. President. I want to assure you that with the pedigree of the athletes who make up Team Nigeria and the level of preparations, Team Nigeria will not disappoint Nigerians at the Tokyo 2020 Games. All we need is the continuous support and prayers of Nigerians.”

The Minister said the Athletes who were carefully selected have demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism, commitment and discipline, recalling that the Ministry organized close to 90 days of staggered camping in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Yenagoa. A national trials was also organized and an international invitational involving five countries was also held in a concerted effort to ensure Team Nigeria qualifies for Track and field.

“Let me assure you Mr. President Sir, that these Athletes will do Nigeria proud at the Olympics by representing Nigeria well. Many of them have told me personally about their determination to achieve podium success to make Nigeria proud. I have no reason to doubt their commitment. I surely wish them the best.”

In the same vein, The Federal Government has urged team Nigeria to make the country proud at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with spectacular performance devoid of cheating.

The Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo who represented President Muhammadu Buhari commendd the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare for ensuring a hitch free preparations.

“I commend the Innovative and Hardworking Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare and the entire Staff of the Ministry for developing these stars and enabling Nigeria participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I’m very happy to see the very best of the best Nigerian Athletes representing Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 58 outstanding athletes and 18 World class coaches joining about 258 other countries of the world in the biggest and most spectacular sporting event in the world. We look forward to an exciting outing so that we can attain podium performances.”

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Sports

A Triumphant Close to the 22nd National Sports Festival

Published

2 days ago

May 29, 2025

The Gleamer

…As organisers promise another spectacle at closing ceremony on Thursday

Joel Ajayi

After 11 days of a true showcase of sporting competition in multiple Sports by some of the country’s top and even promising athletes, the curtain will finally be drawn on what many have described as one of the best ever organised National Sports festivals, when the closing ceremony is held on Thursday at the MKO Sports Arena in Abeokuta.

Whilst the quality of the Games’ opening ceremony is still getting tongues wagging, the entire sporting family and beyond is now anxiously looking forward to what the closing ceremony will look like.

The last 11 days have showcased Ogun state as a true Sporting hub with potential to even do more, with the quality of the facilities built for the games and the enthusiasm of the people who made the various venues their second home in the last few days.

A big testament to this was the history-making crowd that attended the male football final between Ogun state and Kwara State, which the host won by 4-1.

The MKO stadium was filled to full capacity while the crowd outside watching from the big screen reminds one of how much Sports is truly the soul of our togetherness as a country.

From the Alake Sports centre in Ijeja and the Baptist boys high school, to the Obafemi Awolowo square and the Remo stadium both in Ikenne, to the NYSC orientation camp in Shagamu, and the Ilisan town hall in Ilisan, the festival never lacked spectatorship throughout the games.

The Games actually lived up to the pre-tournament hype as both the National Sports Commission, NSC and the Ogun state Government pulled out every administrative capacity to ensure both athletes, officials and the media have an unforgettable experience.

The Gateway Games 2024 had been full of exciting drama and intrigues amongst the states and athletes which led to different new records being set and some old records being shattered.

The festival has also produced for the country some new exciting young talents especially with the shocking performance of the 38th state, the Invited Junior Athletes ( IJA), where they ended up winning some surprised medals to justify the Commission’s establishment of the initiative.

As the Closing ceremony holds on Thursday, the leadership of the National Sports commission, NSC, expresses its profound gratitude to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ogun State Government for making sure millions of Nigerian youths see a renewed brighter future in the country through the National Sports Festival.
The NSC Chairman Mallam Shehu Dilko said ” our overwhelming gratitude goes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, for his personal commitment to the development of Nigerian Sports by giving us every support financially and otherwise for the success of this festival”.

” And the Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun also deserves a huge praise for the feat we all recorded with these games. I can’t thank him enough and posterity will surely remember him for good “.

The NSC Director General who is also the Chairman of the Main organising committee of the games, Hon Bukola Olopade also extended his gratitude to all the technocrats behind the scene that are responsible for the successful organisation of the games.

” From all the members of the Main organising committee to the various sub committees, to members of the local organising committees and all our technical officials in the various sports to the media and our athletes, every success that everyone is talking about concerning these Games belongs to you all”.

” Yes it was not a perfect festival because we acknowledged we had also some challenges but let me assure everyone that some of the challenges are already being worked upon ahead of the next Games holding in Enugu state next year”, he concluded.

The Closing ceremony is expected to bring together top Government functionaries to captain of industries while there will also be the rich cultural display of the state as Ogun state will officially pass the barton of hosting to Enugu state for the 23rd edition of the Games come September 2026.

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