BY Afolabi Gambari
Sunday Dare, minister of youth and sports development, has charged Team Nigeria to be competitive and successful in their outing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The games will kick off from July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
The minister, who spoke at a dinner organised for Team Nigeria by Catriona Laing, the British high commissioner to Nigeria, at her residence in Abuja on Thursday, said the past few months had sharpened and toughened the Nigerian athletes for the challenges ahead.
“At the moment, some of the athletes are in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America for the World Athletics Championships. Before now, some were in Mauritius for the African Senior Athletics Championships,” Dare said.
“We will compete with determination and fairly. As a ministry, we have tried to provide resources as much as we can afford for our athletes to be well prepared and we are sure of great success.”
On her part, the British high commissioner expressed delight at the opportunity to host Team Nigeria for a farewell reception.
“I know the Team Nigeria athletes will do the nation proud. I know they have worked extremely hard, put in so many hours of training and competing to represent Nigeria,” Laing said.
“Birmingham is a modern and bustling metropolis and one of the most diverse cities as well as being a truly multicultural destination with thousands of Nigerians living there, so African and Nigerian delicacies would be within reach. I know say una go do well. Make una carry plenty medals come o.”
Also speaking, Habu Ahmed Gumel, the president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), urged the Nigerian athletes to be good ambassadors.
“I have confidence in Birmingham’s ability to host the rest of the Commonwealth successfully,” Gumel said.
Nigeria will compete in athletics, boxing, judo, wrestling, weightlifting, table tennis, para-athletics, para powerlifting, and para table tennis at the games.
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