Skip to main content

PRESS RELEASE 13th AFRICAN GAMES: THANK YOU AND WELCOME BACK OUR GALLANT SPORTS MEN & WOMEN


PRESS RELEASE

13th AFRICAN GAMES: THANK YOU AND WELCOME BACK OUR GALLANT SPORTS MEN & WOMEN


On behalf of His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu ,GCFR , I welcome you back to our dear country. I congratulate you for your outstanding performance in the just concluded 13th African Games that held in the Republic of Ghana. 


For two weeks, fifty-two countries fiercely contested for honours in twenty-nine sports;  dwelling in the most competitive manner to win laurels for their countries and Nigeria was involved in twenty five of those.


From our world class athletes who burnt the tracks and triumphed, to our dazzling wrestlers, boxers, weightlifters, and indeed other deserving sportsmen and women who were in imperial form, the indomitable Nigerian spirit was on full display, leaving behind whatever pre games inadequacies. The nation is thankful for the hardwork and sacrifice of your individual and collective efforts.


For the duration of the games, not just Africa, but also the World witnessed the full demonstration of the unyielding spirit of the African continent and you were at the centre of all the developments and more than underscored the great Nigerian possibility and what it portends for Africa and the world. Your dazzling performance and brilliance, propelling our country to a second place finish having won forty seven gold medals , thirty three silver medals and fourty one bronze medals, making a total of one hundred and twenty one medals, out of the 52 competing countries at the end of the games is no mean feat.

This indeed is an unforgettable  testament for which the government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians will remain proud  of. Thank you great athletes for showcasing the Nigerian strength, resilience and excellence.


Our sports loving President and the vast majority of Nigerians warmly felicitate you for your gallantry and achievements for putting the country on the firm pedestal as a leading sports powerhouse on the continent of Africa.


While you bask in the euphoria of your exploits and worthy sense of achievement, let me quickly remind you that preparations for the 14th African Games built to hold in Egypt starts now. As your Sports Development Minister,dubbed,Nigeria's GamesMaster General, I sure will be with you all the way. Without prejudice to the comprehensive audit and thorough evaluation of our overall performance at the games which will soon be carried out under my guidance and leadership, the time has come for our country to spend as much, if not more, as it does for COMPETITIONS in DEVELOPMENT and PREPARATION, if we ever hope to get atop the medals table which we have only achieved once in 2003 when the country hosted the Games. Efforts will be made to continue to consolidate on those sports we have earned the greatest laurels while also interrogating the ones, as a country we are naturally endowed but which we continue to perform poorly,such as swimming. This is the only way we can blunt the gap between us and our main rival as we envision and implement a masterplan that will propel us to the sporting summit on the continent.


For the meantime, the challenge of the Ministry is to work out a sustainable package of incentives that will continue to put the welfare condition of our sportsmen and women at the  forefront.

Thank you once more our gallant heroes and heroines as I welcome you back.

 

Signed: 


Senator John Owan Enoh 

Hon. Minister of Sports Development

March 23rd, 2024.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

 We Don’t Have FA In Ondo Because Of Dirty Politics- Says Fadoju

  Akinkunle Bolarinwa  Ondo State Football Association is always in the news for wrong reasons and a former board member of the association Moses Fadoju has labelled the current board as ineffective.  In chat with Apexmedia2020.blogspot.com Moses Fadoju stressed that the association is in shambles and incompetent.  "We are backward in Ondo State because of dirty politics that doesn't grow the game". He declared that the Ondo State Football Association has had no plans or projects for football development in the past 4 years. "No programs, no nothing, it is a shame that everything is in shambles here in Ondo without any single development for the game" The Chairman is always absent without leave and so no particular person to lead the association since few of those he imposed on the board can't contribute anything. "He is the diaspora Chairman of Ondo State Football Association because he is always never available to see to the administration of the FA.
Post a Comment
Read more

Edo Government Bails Bendel Insurance FC Out With A Rickety Bus.

Edo Government Bails Bendel Insurance FC Out With A Rickety Bus. Bendel Insurance players and officials may soon be trekking to Training and  match venues if the issue of transportation is not sorted out before the start of next league stanza. The team's bus has been abandoned due to serious engine problems, however the state government just gave them another rickety bus from the government house and they are on their way to the match training and home games.  With danger locking around every road within the country, it is saddening seeing the rickety buses that some football teams acquired to ferry their players and officials to and fro match venues. Bendel Insurance is in dire need of a new team bus and the state government must act urgently. You will recall that the team has been suffering from the "smoke and move" bus that has recently packed up due to engine failure. The issue of good means of transportation has greatly affected the team's performances in the NPF
Post a Comment
Read more

Pitch Expert Proffers Solutions To Super Eagles Unimpressive Performances At Home Games

Pitch Expert Proffers Solutions To Super Eagles Unimpressive Performances At Home Games Few football stakeholders have attributed the Super Eagles' inability to secure the three points against Lesotho in last Thursday's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier to the not too good enough pitch of Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Concerned sports enthusiasts have however called on the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF to ensure a safer and durable pitches for Super Eagles to thrive, especially for home games. Certified pitch construction expert and chief executive officer of Monimichelle Pitch Construction Company, Ebi Egbe stated that the Super Eagles were unable to adjust to the nature of the pitch provided for that encounter. "Our boys will always find it difficult to adjust to slow pace football in just a few days of training. Our foreign legions are used to speed football". Egbe added that the Nest of Champions pitch needs adequate maintenanc
Post a Comment
Read more