Buhari Rewards Athletes with National Honours, N200m Cash

*Amusan, Brume conferred with Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) award 

Deji Elumoye  in  Abuja 

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved National Honours and N200 million cash awards for Team Nigeria contingents to the 2022 Commonwealth Games and World Athletics championships.

For their outstanding performances at both competitions, Oluwatobiloba Amusan and Ese Brume are now recipients of Nigeria’s National Honour, the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

Speaking yesterday, at a presidential reception at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, in honour of the athletes, the president said his government was committed to rewarding excellence, no less for members of Team Nigeria who ignited the spirit of victory in the nation through stellar performances at international competitions.

Congratulating all the awardees and recipients, Buhari expressed confidence that this would spur them to greater heights.

The president who described the athletes as champions, worthy ambassadors, national heroes and heroines, heaped praises on them for proudly flying the Nigerian flag in nine sporting events.

According to him, ”I watched with millions of Nigerians those exciting moments when you all brought smiles to us and our homes by breaking world, national and games records, as well as achieving personal best in your careers.

”Your outstanding performances in recent times are consistent with the determination of a nation always yearning for excellent performance.

”You all, members of Team Nigeria have ignited the spirit for victory in our nation but even more you have been victorious in major sporting championships and games.

”I have followed keenly your achievements at the World Championships in Oregon USA and indeed your remarkable performance at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

”And I am very pleased that you displayed at both the personal and group levels great sporting talents and delivered for your country great podium performances”.

The president told the athletes that their hour of sporting glory beamed the ‘‘radar of the world on Nigeria,” adding that their exploits have gone a long way in projecting the positive image of the country.

”Twelve times the world stood still as our green, white, green national flag was hoisted and the National Anthem recited. Thirty-five times we made it to the podium. You all Team Nigeria made that possible.

”You brought glory and honour to our country. And today, on behalf of the nation- I say, thank you.”

Buhari called out the names of the gold winners and other medal winners including the world champion in the 100m hurdles, Tobiloba Amusan, Ese Brume, Blessing Oborodudu , Oluwafemiayo Folashade, Taiwo Liadi, Ikechukwu Obichukwu, Bose Omolayo, Favour Ofili, Nasiru Sule, Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi, Ebikewenimo Welson, Hannah Rueben and Elizabeth Osoba.

Reiterating the commitment of his administration in providing the enabling environment for youths to ascend to the pinnacle of their chosen careers, the president expressed satisfaction with the impact the Adopt-An-Athlete Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development had on the performance of athletes.

He urged more private individuals and corporate organisations to support government’s investment in sports, which has been reclassified from being a recreational activity to being a business in line with modern practices worldwide.

Buhari also acknowledged the many giant strides witnessed in the sports sector under the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare and his team, commending the numerous and sustained successes recorded in the last few years.

Earlier in his speech, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, described 2022 as an outstanding year in the history of Nigerian sports, which shall not be forgotten in a hurry.

According to him, it was a year where many sporting federations have surpassed and are surpassing their previous performances, while many athletic records were broken.

Highlighting the most remarkable feats, Dare said in track and field, Amusan in a span of four months won Nigeria’s first ever gold medal in World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA with a world record performance in an event highly dominated by the Americans and Europeans.

She also successfully defended her Commonwealth Games title, which she won in 2018 in Gold Coast, with a games record in 2022 in Birmingham; and Diamond League title in Zurich, Switzerland on September 8, 2022, the Minister said, adding that this remarkable performance has never been achieved by any Nigerian in the history of our sports.

The minister further said Brume, another trailblazer in Nigerian sports, won silver medal in the Women’s Long Jump event at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a games record performance.

Dare recalled that the first time Nigeria won a medal in wrestling at the Olympic Games since 1952, was at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by Oborududu, who clinched a silver medal to the admiration of the entire globe.