SAN FRANCISCO, July 19, (THEWILL) – President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, warned Nigerian athletes to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to desist from using performance enhancing drugs and other activities that could dent the country’s image.
Buhari, while officially handing over Team Nigeria to the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC), charged the athletes to put in their best and win gold medals in their various events at the Games.
“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,” he said.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“The menace of drug use in sports is threatening the core foundation of sports and has led to embarrassing situations as well as sanction 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.
“Go for Gold in Rio! Go Team Nigeria! Go! 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 by bending the rules and denying the Games of fair competition.
The President assured them of the support of more than 170 million sports-loving Nigerians whom he said were solidly behind them.
The 2016 Olympic Games starts on August 4 in Rio while the Paralympic Games comes up immediately after the Olympic Games.
Nigeria will be represented by 86 athletes in nine games at the Olympics.
Story by David Oputah
