Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh has emphasised the need for Team Nigeria to surpass its best Olympic record achieved at the Atlanta 1996 Games.
The minister made the call during the Ministerial Strategic Technical Meeting aimed at preparing Team Nigeria for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games which was held on Thursday at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The meeting, which brought together Olympics-bound sports federations, was to map out a comprehensive roadmap and technical training programs for Team Nigeria to excel in Paris. The plans are expected to be analysed by the Federation and Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) and the Ministerial Podium Performance Committee to ensure that Team Nigeria is on the right path to winning medals.
Enoh said both domestic and international preparations are crucial for the success of Team Nigeria.
“Surpassing our best Olympic performance is a goal that we should target to meet. We must build on our past successes and strive for excellence in Paris 2024.
“The combination of domestic camping and foreign training tours is essential. It ensures our athletes are well-prepared and ready to compete at the highest level,” the minister stated.
Sporting Tribune reports that domestic camping will officially open in Abuja, Lagos, Bayelsa and Ibadan during the weekend while foreign training tours will take place thereafter with the US, Germany, Spain, Italy, amongst top destinations pencilled down.
The roadmap discussed during this meeting is designed to provide athletes with the best possible preparation, leveraging state-of-the-art facilities and expert coaching both locally and internationally.
So far, 88 athletes have qualified for the Olympic while others are still in the qualification process.
The minister however expressed confidence in the plans laid out and urged all stakeholders to remain committed and focused on the goal of achieving outstanding results at the Paris 2024 Games.
