Nigeria Olympians under the umbrella of Nigeria Olympians Association (NOA) are drumming support for the Minister of sports development, Senator John Owan Enoh, while commending his vision and achievements in the field of sports development since he assumed office.
Led by its president Olumide Ayodeji, the Nigerian Olympians Association paid a courtesy visit on the Minister of Sports Development, on Wednesday during which the association expressed their desire to not only support the Minister’s vision but also contribute to the growth of sports in Nigeria through mentoring of athletes.
Ayodeji on behalf of the association highlighted the Olympians’ contributions to the country and urged the Minister to look into their welfare in line with his vision for sports development.
Also, Emmanuel Babayaro, a member Nigerian football team that won a gold medal during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, described the Minister as a leader with a human face and assured him of the Nigerian Olympians Association’s support in consolidating his achievements so far. He also emphasized the Olympians’ willingness to offer their support and experience as mentors to help grow sports in Nigeria.
On their parts; Christy Opara Thompson, Olufemi Ebenezer who were members of the NOA delegation outlined the individual contributions of members of the NOA to sports development to include building of infrastructure for athletes use in communities to enhance sports development.
Senator John Owan Enoh in his response expressed his gratitude for the visit and pledged to provide a platform for the Olympians to engage with athletes to achieve desired outcomes. He assured the Association that the Ministry will work out modalities to include them as part of the contingent for the Olympic Games on a sport-to-sport basis. Additionally, he promised to do things differently to achieve the desired results under his leadership.
“There’s so much the ministry is willing to do , including working with the right people to register desired results.” He said.
Meanwhile, the Minister was inducted as a member of the Nigeria Olympians Association.
