Sports Minister harps on need to surpass 1996 record at Paris 2024 Olympics
The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has strongly emphasized the need for ‘Team Nigeria’ to surpass its best Olympic record, achieved at the Atlanta 1996 Games.
He made this call during the Ministerial Strategic Technical Meeting aimed at preparing ‘Team Nigeria’ for Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games, held on Thursday, May, 30, 2024 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The meeting brought together Olympics-bound sports federations to map out a comprehensive roadmap and technical training programs. These plans will be meticulously analyzed by the Federation and Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) and the Ministerial Podium Performance Committee to ensure that ‘Team Nigeria’ is on the right path to winning medals.
“Surpassing our best Olympic performance is a goal that we should target to meet. We must build on our past successes and strive for excellence in Paris 2024,” Senator Enoh stated.
The Minister emphasized that both domestic and international preparations are crucial for the success of ‘Team Nigeria’.
“The combination of domestic camping and foreign training tours is essential. It ensures our athletes are well-prepared and ready to compete at the highest level,” he added.
Domestic camping will officially open this weekend in Abuja, Lagos, Bayelsa, and Ibadan. Foreign training tours will take place thereafter with the United States , Germany, Spain and Italy, amongst top destinations pencilled down.
The roadmap discussed during the meeting is designed to provide athletes with the best possible preparation, leveraging on state-of-the-art facilities and expert coaching both locally and internationally.
Thus far, 88 Ahletes have qualified for the Olympics, as many others are still in the qualification process.
The Minister, expressed confidence in the plans laid out and urged all stakeholders to remain committed and focused on the goal of achieving outstanding results at the Paris 2024 Games.
