By Aminu Kutama
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja approved National Honours and cash awards of N200 million for Team Nigeria contingents to the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the World Athletics Championships.
Speaking at a presidential reception in honour of the athletes, the President said his Government is committed to rewarding excellence, no less for members of Team Nigeria who ignited the spirit of victory in the nation through stellar performances at international competitions.
Congratulating all the awardees and recipients, he expressed confidence that this will spur them to greater heights.
The President who described the athletes as champions, worthy ambassadors, national heroes and heroines, heaped praises on them for proudly flying the Nigerian flag in nine sporting events.
”I watched with millions of Nigerians those exciting moments when you all brought smiles to us and our homes by breaking world, national and games records, as well as achieving personal best in your careers.
”You all, members of Team Nigeria have ignited the spirit for victory in our nation but even more, you have been victorious in major sporting championships and games.
”I followed keenly your achievements at the World Championships in Oregon USA and indeed your remarkable performance at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
”And I am very pleased that you displayed at both the personal and group levels great sporting talents and delivered for your country great podium performances,” he said.
”You brought glory and honour to our country. And today, on behalf of the nation- I say, THANK YOU!,” the president added.
President Buhari called out the names of the gold winners and other medal winners including the world champion in the 100m hurdles, Tobiloba Amusan, Ese Brume, Blessing Oborodudu, Oluwafemiayo Folashade, Taiwo Liadi, Ikechukwu Obichukwu, Bose Omolayo, Favour Ofili, Nasiru Sule, Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi, Ebikewenimo Welson, Hannah Rueben and Elizabeth Oshoba.
The Minister of Youth and Sports Development described 2022 as an outstanding year in the history of Nigerian sports, which shall not be forgotten in a hurry.
According to him, it is a year where many Sporting Federations have surpassed and are surpassing their previous performances, while many athletic records were broken.
Highlighting the most remarkable feats, Dare said in track and field, Amusan in a span of 4 months won Nigeria’s first-ever gold medal in World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, the USA with a world record performance in an event highly dominated by the Americans and Europeans.
She also successfully defended her Commonwealth Games title, which she won in 2018 in Gold Coast, with a games record in 2022 in Birmingham; and the Diamond League title in Zurich, Switzerland on September 8, 2022, the Minister said, adding that this remarkable performance has never been achieved by any Nigerian in the history of our sports.
Further, the Minister said Brume, another trailblazer in Nigerian sports, won a Silver medal in the Women’s Long Jump event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a games record performance
Dare recalled that the first time Nigeria won a medal in wrestling at the Olympic Games since 1952, was at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by Oborodudu, who clinched a silver medal to the admiration of the entire globe.
