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SPEECH BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI ON
THE OCCASION OF HANDING OVER OF TEAM NIGERIA ATHLETES AND OFFICIALS
PARTICIPATING AT THE RIO 2016 OLYMPIC GAMES TO THE NIGERIA OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
(NOC) AS WELL AS THE INVESTITURE OF MR. PRESIDENT AS GRAND PATRON OF NOC, JULY
19, 2016, STATE HOUSE ABUJA
I am highly delighted to receive the
cream of Nigerian sporting talents and their team officials that are set to do
our nation proud at the 2016 Olympic Games, commencing from 5th to 21st August
this year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I
have been reliably updated on the outstanding performances of our athletes and
teams, at their various qualifying championships, which have led to the
qualification of a sizeable number of athletes who will fly our national flag
at this premier global sporting occasion.
2. Nigeria has 49 qualified male
athletes and 29 female athletes, giving us a total of 78 athletes in 10 sport
disciplines.
3. It is therefore the honour
of the Federal Government to officially unveil the qualified athletes of Team
Nigeria to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
4. Aside the sports that we have
qualified for the Olympic Games, I have equally been informed that our athletes
have qualified athletes for the Paralympic Games, which comes up immediately after
the Olympic Games in Brazil.
5. I therefore want to use this
opportunity to personally congratulate all these worthy athletes on their
qualifications for these Games, even in the face of daunting challenges in
their preparations.
6. Let me equally assure you
that the Federal Government is fully committed to our delegation’s successful
participation in the Rio Olympic Games and will ensure that funds budgeted for
the Games are released without further delay.
7. We are all aware of our
nation’s dwindling revenue and the current global economic challenges. It is therefore imperative that funds
provided for the Games are utilized judiciously. In this regard, any official who has no
business at the Games should stay at home to cheer the team from here and if
they must travel to the Olympics, they should do so at their own expense.
8. As the Federal Government
formally hands over our athletes and officials for the Rio Olympics to the
Nigeria Olympic Committee today, I want to charge all athletes and team
officials going to the Olympic Games to be worthy ambassadors of our great
country, both on the field of play and outside the sporting arena. The eyes of the global community are on you
and as such, you should desist from acts that could dent the image of our great
country, Nigeria.
9. You are very aware of recent
doping allegations which cast aspersions not only on the individual athletes
but on their home countries. Please keep Nigeria clean.
10. The menace of drug use in
sports is threatening the core foundation of sports and has led to embarrassing
situations as well as sanctions of some great sporting nations. I therefore urge you to keep the integrity of
our nation intact by competing clean and fair at the Olympic Games.
11. Please bring as many medals
back home as a result of your efforts and endeavour. But remember it is more
important to compete and acquit your country as a fair sporting nation than to
bring a pack of medals as a result of bending the rules and denying the Games
of fair competition
12. Finally, let me assure you of the support of
over 170 million sports-loving Nigerians who are solidly behind you as you
depart to bring glory to our fatherland in Rio.
Therefore, Go for Gold in Rio! Go Team
Nigeria! Go!
I wish you all the best of luck. Thank
you.
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