African Games:Adesola Hints media on The State of Preparedness of Team Nigeria

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports
Development, Mr Olusade Adesola has briefed the media and the general
public on the level of preparations of Team Nigeria for the
forthcoming 12th African Games in Rabat, Morocco.

In a press release made available to exclusive news.com.ng ,the permanent secretary while addressing the Sport Editors and reporters from other media
organisations recently at the Permanent Secretary’s Conference Room,
Federal Secretariat, Abuja, Adesola applauded President Muhammadu
Buhari’s led administration for his sustained and unwavering support
to the sporting activities of the Ministry including the African
Games.

 He noted that the African Games is a multi-sports
quadrennial games, adding that it is the equivalent of African
‘’Olympics’ which takes a 4-year cycle preparation programme.
According to him, ‘’ the Federations have concluded series of close
and open trials to assess the athletes’ level of preparations and
select possible podium athletes to represent the nation at the
Games’’.

Nigeria will feature contingent
size of 462 athletes, Coaches, medical and administrative support
staff, while the Ministry will support with additional 100 guests to
the African Games. Adesola added that the Ministry would appreciate a large
turn-out of teeming support from Nigerians who have the resources and
could legitimately make the trip to Morocco to cheer up the athletes.

The Permanent Secretary, while acknowledging the zeal and
patriotism of some foreign based athletes in their quest to do the
nation proud; shuttled a number of times to and fro Nigeria at their
own cost, adding that other athletes should emulate this good virtue.

He also acknowledged the resilience efforts of the
Federations and their Boards      in ensuring that Team Nigeria work
together with their officials and coaches for successful outings in
Rabat.

Adesola thanked the Board and Management of the Nigeria Anti
Doping Committee for educating athletes on the danger of doping,
nothing that anti-doping technologies have so advanced that you can
hardly escape being caught. He said:  ‘’avoid any form of
self-medication, for all your medical needs; please always consult
physicians in camps. Doping is cheating and there is global action
against it’’.