Sports
Nigeria Will Not Accept Tainted Medals – FG
The Federal Government yesterday warned athletes to the London 2012 Olympics that it would not accept any medals won that are tainted by drugs.
President Goodluck Jonathan gave the warning in Lagos at the hand-over of “Team Nigeria’’ to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) by the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Jonathan, who was represented by Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, the Sports Minister, said though Nigerians expected the athletes to do the country proud, the government would not accept any medal won dubiously.
“I expect you to do us proud but we do not want any medal tainted by drugs,” he said.
The president added that the games were a great opportunity for the athletes to raise the profile of their sports to be better considered for subsequent championships.
“It is a great opportunity for you (athletes) to raise the profile of your sport so that it would no longer be treated as second fiddle,” he said.
Jonathan advised Nigerians to stop being concerned about not featuring in football at the Olympics and concentrate on how the other sports can succeed at the Games.
“We should stop being concerned about missing out in football because the sport cannot give the country more than one medal,” he said.
Also speaking on the occasion, NOC President Sani Ndanusa warned the athletes to shun acts capable of tarnishing the country’s image at the Games.
He particularly cautioned the athletes against taking performance enhancing drugs, noting that the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) were very strict about doping.
“The position of the IOC and WADA on the use of banned substances has become more stringent and pronounced through the deployment of high-tech scientific detectors.
“This has further narrowed the chances of escape for drug cheats. I will therefore enjoin all athletes to be wary of any medication that could endanger their chances at the games,” he said.
Ndanusa also appealed to the medical team to take proactive steps in monitoring the athletes’ nutrition and medication.
According to him, 30 athletes had qualified in Track and Field, three in boxing, one in Canoe Kayak, four table tennis players, two in Taekwondo, four wrestlers and two weightlifters.
The president also expressed optimism that the country’s Men Basketball team will qualify for the Games in their final qualification encounter in Venezuela.
He noted that seven Nigerian athletes were currently on IOC Olympics Scholarships and would participate in the Games.
“I am happy that some of our athletes are currently on IOC Olympics scholarships,” he said.
They are Blessing Okagbare, Ajoke Odumosu, Oluwatosin Oke, Ogho-Oghene Egwero, Jonathan Akinyemi, Chika Chukwumerije and Maryam Usman.
He wished Team Nigeria well and urged them to go for Gold, saying they can make it.
Team Nigeria departed Nigeria for London last night.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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