Tokyo 2020: Nigerians Want Olympic Medals, Not Stories, Says Dare

•  Orders federations to begin preparations for Olympics

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has ordered national sports federations to immediately begin preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

With just one bronze medal to show for Team Nigeria’s participation in the last two Olympic Games in London and Rio de Janeiro, Dare insisted that era of giving excuses for failures was over.

“Nigerians want medals, not failures or stories,” he observed in the

directive handed out to national sports federations recently.

A letter from the minister’s office addressed to all presidents of the national sports federations, asked them to review their programmes in view of the just concluded African Games in Morocco and get back to him within the next ten days.

The correspondent dated September, 10, 2019, stated that all the sports federations are required to submit their programmes, reviewed in the light of the outcome of the African Games and progress recorded in the preparations for the Olympics to enable the ministry take necessary steps.

“Federations are therefore expected to develop and train their athletes and present them to the ministry in a timely fashion for competitions, which require that the training of athletes should now be on and off season.

“You are consequently directed to commence preparations in earnest for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,” the letter requested.

The minister identified late preparations as the bane of Nigeria’s participation in championships and international tournaments, saying presidents and secretaries of federations are expected to embrace the new thinking aimed at addressing the challenge.