By Saidu Abubakar
Ideally, no largesse is too much in reward for citizens that made a country proud, especially after a global glorious outing such as the recently concluded Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, UK which proudly podiumed 13 Nigerian athletes, and attracted standstill ovation while Nigerian national anthem resonated on 13 different occasions. No amount of money can purchase such dignity among the comity of nations except sports excellence. Luckily enough, Nigeria, in Birmingham, once again massively garnered that rapturous moment courtesy of our patriotic sportswomen and men.
Imagine how greater Nigeria can become should other agencies where government is investing the country’s commonwealth borrow a leaf from sports by also winning laurels that will up the bar for the progress of the country and its good people. Sports, no doubt, is beyond a mere recreational pastime as it has longer than now, assumed the status of an international tool for image laundering.
It is still fresh in our memory that prior to the Birmingham Games, the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA saw Tobi Amusan mesmerize the athletic world with her superlative performance in the 100m hurdles event for Nigeria’s first ever gold medal which served as a moral booster to yet, ‘beat them all’ another gold in Birmingham.
Nigerians aligned with President Buhari’s sentiment when he, during a reception in honour of the Team Nigeria athletes to the just concluded Commonwealth Games at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, eulogized the Team’s courageous effort saying: “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.
“Your outstanding performances in recent times are consistent with the determination of a nation always yearning for excellent performance.
“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 have followed keenly, your achievements at the World Championships in Oregon USA and indeed your remarkable performances 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.
“Twelve times the world stood still as our green, white green national flag was hoisted and the National Anthem recited. Thirty-five times we made it to the podium. You all, Team Nigeria, made that possible.
“You brought glory and honour to our country. And today, on behalf of the nation – I say, THANK YOU!” Mr.President enthused.
Speaking further, 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.
President Buhari at the reception, doled out N200m to the athletes and officials, including those to the World Athletic Championship in Oregon, USA also this year.
He announced the N200 million reward for the Team Nigeria contingent to the Birmingham Games and also conferred national awards on 17 athletes that won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Games respectively.
Top on the list of awardees is the world champion and record holder, Tobi Amusan, who bagged the national honour of Officer of Federal Republic (OFR).
Also conferred with OFR honour were Ese Brume, Blessing Oborududu and Fumilayo Folashade, while the quartet were also rewarded with N4.5million each for making the country proud with the world athletics and games records at the global sporting events.
Other gold medalists at the Games were awarded the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) and N4.5m each respectively.
Silver and bronze medalists classified in categories C and D were also honoured with Federal Republic Medal Class 1 and 2 with cash reward of N2.5m and N1.5m respectively.
Interesting, the largesse extended to coaches of the medal-winning athletes as each of them received N1.5m; while non-medal-winning athletes and their coaches smiled home with N600,000 each as well as all accredited team officials who gladly received N400,000 each for their contributions.
Speaking earlier at the reception, Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare 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 four months won Nigeria’s first-ever gold medal in World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, 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 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 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 Oborududu, who clinched a silver medal to the admiration of the entire globe.
“Through the ‘Adopt Initiatives’ being implemented by my Ministry and the support of Mr. President, we are witnessing a new trajectory in Nigerian sports and athletes’ performance. Equally significant is the support we have received through approved Presidential Intervention funds for sports even at short notice.
“In like manner, some well-meaning Nigerians and philanthropists keyed into our Adopt Initiatives (Adopt an Athlete, Adopt a Pitch and Adopt a Sports Centre). This development provided the fulcrum for the motivation of our elite athletes and the rapid transformation of our sports facilities.”
The Dangote industries Group rehabilitated the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja while Sir Adebutu Kesington is rehabilitating the football pitch and athletics track of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.