By Uzor Odigbo
Sports Minister Mr Sunday Dare has described the report about poorly kitted sportswear for the Nigerian contingent in a national daily newspaper as one done in bad faith and in bad taste.
”It is an attempt to ridicule the athletes and Nigeria. The report is not based on existing facts. It again showcases the bias, slant and lack of objectivity we find in some segments and of the media. The Ministry has done the needful. The Nigerian contingent is fully kitted for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad,” says the Sports Minister.
”We have distributed the full kits to the federations, who have in turn shared them among the athletes. Every pack has 12 different wears for different occasions and the athletes have enough of the bags to serve them even beyond Tokyo,” Dare further said and reminded that just last Monday in the full glare of the media the kits were unveiled in Abuja by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
The Minister could not understand how the idea of a poorly kitted team cropped into the imagination of the writer of the story when he must have seen reports from the newspaper’s correspondent in Abuja about the unveiling of the kits.
‘I was once a practising journalist and in journalism, you are expected to get all sides to a story.
The story did not quote any athlete or official saying they have not been given any kits or the kits are not enough.
So, where did the story of a poorly kitted team spring up from, where,’ asked Dare who revealed that the Federal Government is not sparing any dime in ensuring the country is well represented in Japan.
Dare revealed that a bonus package the athletes will be proud of has been approved for the team and that some of the athletes are already being rewarded even before the start of the games. He also revealed that corporate organisations have assured him of hefty packages for the athletes who excel in Tokyo.
“The adopt-an-athlete initiative has made it possible for the athletes to get their rewards for serving Nigeria immediately.
The corporate organisations that adopted these athletes have put up a reward system that will take care of our ambassadors before and after their events.
“We know how important the welfare of these special class of Nigerians are and have, therefore, ensured that they are relaxed and in the right frame of mind to excel in Tokyo.”
Tokyo 2020 has been described as the likely turning point for Nigerian sports after 13 years of failure in the Olympic Games.
With some of the best athletes in various events in Nigeria’s team, followers of world sports say this is the right time for Africa’s biggest nation to return to the podium.
Nigeria returned without a medal at the 2012 Olympics held in London while five years ago, the bronze medal won by the football team was the country’s lone medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
‘We believe the team to the Tokyo Games is capable oF surpassing the six medals feat which included two gold medals achieved at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA.
Our athletes have been ranked in the top three in their respective events and will be competing against the same athletes they have been competing against in the last four, five years. We believe this can be our time.