The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development says it finds it pertinent to warn that it will not accept any act of sabotage calculated at undermining Nigeria’s chances at the Tokyo Olympics.
Two men, former AFN chairman, Shehu Gusau, and chairman of Delta State Athletics Board, Tony Okowa, are laying claim to the post of AFN chairman, a situation that poses risk to Nigeria’s athletics outing at the Tokyo Olympics.
The warning of the Federal Government became necessary after it was brought to its notice that certain elements were involved in acts aimed at sabotaging Nigeria’s Olympics Invitational trials slated for this weekend in Yaba College of Technology.
“This act is tantamount to undermining Nigeria’s National interest in the area of Sports. For the avoidance of doubt, a successful AFN Congress was held in Abuja to elect a new Board, led by Tony Okowa as President. This new board for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) was inaugurated by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development on June 15th 2021.
‘This should expectedly bring closure to all the distractions occasioned by the leadership crisis that ended with the expiration of the old AFN board.
“The Ministry’s focus remains achieving an impressive podium performance for Nigeria at the Olympics, for which it has approved a series of qualifying events for Team Nigeria athletes to score the final points required to qualify for the Olympic Games.
“Anyone, under any guise, attempting to block participating countries and athletes from attending these events is consequently sabotaging Nigeria, and will be held accountable,” the statement said.