*Assures Nigeria’ll be at the Olympics
The Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung has restated government’s commitment to Team Nigeria’s participation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio next month.
The minister further revealed that his ministry has applied for a bailout of N2bn to argument funds for the Games billed to run from August 5-21.
Dalung gave the assurance of Nigeria’s participation in the Games when he met with members of the Nigeria Olympic Committee NOC yesterday in Abuja.
“We have applied for additional funding for Rio 2016 because the N500m voted for it would be insufficient. We have applied for additional N2bn based on the need we have,” Dalung said.
Meanwhile, the ministry in a release signed by the minister’s SA Media , Nneka Anibeze explained that the delay in federal government’s release of funds for the games was due to administrative lapses. Dalung reassured the NOC buffs that President Muhammadu Buhari had promised that attention was being given to the issue.
The Minister also urged the NOC and sports federations to embrace Private Sector Partnerships to drive some of their programmes and confirmed 19th July 2016 as date for the formal handover of athletes to the NOC to proceed to the games.
“The athletes will be officially handed over to the NOC during an investiture of President Muhammadu Buhari as the Grand Patron of the Nigeria Olympic Movement on July19, 2016 at the Villa’s Banquet Hall. We urge the private sector to also key into this lunch date with the President to buy tables at the occasion which in turn will be used to fund the athletes”.
President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee Engr Habu Gumel thanked the Minister for the reassurance and promised that the NOC will work with the government to ensure a successful outing in Rio.
“On behalf of the Olympic family we want to thank the federal government for your support. We will work with you. It’s a collective responsibility so that while we are in Rio, we will be able to make Nigeria proud”.
Gumel said that 11 athletes had been given grants by the International Olympic Committee as well as one hundred and three thousand US Dollars ($103,000) as grants for the Olympics while 14 other athletes also received same privilege from ANOCA.