Paris 2024: House summons Sports Minister over preparations

The House of Representatives Committee on Sports has invited the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, to appear before it to brief the Committee and Nigerians on the preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games to be hosted by Paris, French capital later in the year.

The chairman of the Committee, Honourable Ekene Adams Abubakar, stated this during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) led by its president, Habu Gumel which was held at Room 344 at the National Assembly Complex Abuja on Thursday.

According to Honourable Adams Abubakar, as a force to reckon with in global sports, it is time Nigeria surpassed her Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games where the country won two gold medial through the national U23 football team, the Dream Team 1 and long jumper, policewoman, Chioma Ajunwa.

He said as the Ministry in charge of sports in the country, it is incumbent on the minister to let Nigerians know the level of preparations for the upcoming global fiesta as it relates to athletes’ welfare, camping, allowances and bonuses so that Team Nigeria can fly the country’s flag high as well as recording outstanding podium finish that will surpass the Atlanta record.

“We want to surpass the records of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics which was our best so far. Inviting the Minister to come before the Committee is not witch hunting, we are only trying to do the needful. We want our athletes to represent us very well and be in a right frame of mind while competing for honours in Paris later in the year. We should not write Team Nigeria off with our never-say-die spirit. We are going to encourage them to perform well in Paris. The athletes need to motivated and inspired. I’m sure Nigerian sports will get it right under my chairmanship as House Committee on Sports,” the chairman stated.

He added that the National Assembly will also propose a bill that will capture athletes’ preparations in the annual budget of the Sports Ministry rather than in every Olympic year.

Briefing the Committee, the NOC President, Habu Gumel, said the body is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that Team Nigeria makes the country proud.

Gumel, who apologised profusely for not being around to honour the Committee’s invitation last week, said what took him to IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland centred on preparations and movement of Nigerian contingent to Paris to participate in the Olympic Games.

“I was to appear last week unfortunately like the chairman said, I was outside the country on a national assignment to go and discuss the issues of our preparations, our movement to Paris to participate in the Olympic Games. The meeting was necessary that was why I had to travel to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters to go and meet with the respective organisations. That is exactly what happened I was on a national assignment.

“I believe together, we can move our country forward through interactions such as this so that we can be able to have a very good outing in Paris for the Olympic Games and make our country proud.’

He, however, said to win an Olympic medal, an athlete must have undergone training for four years with constant and consistent support and funding to back it up.

“To win a gold medial is not a year thing. To get a gold medal, you have to start training immediately one Olympics end. That being the case, the NOC is going to keep with that tradition. We are working with our partners to make sure that we record podium success” the NOC President said.