The President, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Habu Gumel, on Wednesday assured that the country’s athletes would do better at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Gumel told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that NOC was working tirelessly to see that the athletes were well motivated to perform better during the Olympics.
Gumel spoke on the sidelines of the inauguration of 11 NOC Commissions that would assist in delivering its objectives through advisory roles and technical support.
“We want our athletes to go to the Olympics and do the nation proud. The technical committee will go to the camps to see the challenges and advise on ways to improve their welfare.
“We are working tirelessly to see that the athletes are well motivated to perform better during the Olympics.
“Not only that, after the Olympics, we want to have new players that will fill in the shoes of the ageing ones,” he said.
Earlier in his speech, Gumel said that the inauguration of the NOC Commissions was another landmark event in the annals of the Olympic movement in Nigeria.
“The creation of NOC Commissions is in line with the provisions of the IOC and NOC statutes, as these subsidiary governing bodies are not only advisory, but equally essential in promoting Olympic values.
“The NOC administration has adopted a broad-based approach in the appointment of these commissions, in line with vision of expanding the scope of our operations to cover vital departments of Olympism,” he said.
The Chairman of Athletes Commission, Olumide Oyedeji said that the appointment would help to address the past ills in the approach to the athletes’ welfare.
“This is a right step in the right direction because, we will have to sit down and see to the welfare of the athletes.
“The committee will proffer solution on how to correct the past ills as far as their welfare is concerned, this is the time to make sure that the athletes are at the centre of things.
“In the past, athletes’ welfare have been overlooked, but now, we can have a voice because I have been in that shoe before and now we have a consensus on the welfare,” he said.
11 committees inaugurated were: Technical/Development, which has Lawrence Iquaibom as Chairman and Chidi Ejiogu as Vice Chairman.
Marketing and Sponsorship; Wahid Oshodi, Chairman, Abdul Ibrahim: Liaison; Habu Gumel, Chairman, Solomon Ogba, Vice-Chairman: Athletes; Olumide Oyedeji, Chairman, Mariam Usman, Vice Chairman.
Olympic Education; Mohammed Abdullahi, Chairman, Patrick Okpah, Vice Chairman: Sports for All; Anthony Oyetayo, Chairman, Yakubu Ibrahim, Vice Chairman: Sports/Environment Mohammed Suleiman, Gambo Labbo. Vice Chairman.
Ethics/Good Governance; Gbenga Elegbeleye, Chairman, Chiojioke Okoli and OlympAfrica Development; Ishaku Tikon, Babatunde Fatayi-Williams. (NAN)
