Nigeria’s former queen of the tracks, Mary Onyali has thrown more light on a grant of n50,000 handed out to each athlete in the country, as palliative measures from the sports ministry to help them overcome financial difficulties during the lockdown occasioned by coronavirus, megasportsarena.com reports.
She disclosed that the gesture was approved by the sports minister, Sunday Akinlabi Dare, following several messages and phone calls from many of the athletes, who complained that they were unable to make ends meet during the suspension of all activities.
Onyali disclosed that Dare directed payment of the amount into various personal bank accounts of the Nigerian athletes to provide some relief in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the money disbursements, which commenced Wednesday, are part of N10m donated by Remo Stars FC of Ikenne chairman, Kunle Soname and N1m from an unnamed philanthropist.
The ex-athlete, who is now a special assistant to the sports minister, added that the payments represent the take-off for the ministry’s Athletes’ Relief Fund (ARF), which is paid directly to the recipients from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account of the sports ministry.
The minister earlier floated the relief fund for the athletes whose source of earnings has ceased as a result of the suspension of all sporting events in the world, and Onyali believes the N50,000 each of them has now received will go a long way towards ameliorating their cash woes.
The gesture has now earned verbal backing from Onyali, who won bronze with Nigeria’s 4 × 100 meters relay at the 1992 Olympic Games, 200 meters at the 1996 Olympic Games and gold at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 100m.
She won a total of seven individual medals at the All-Africa Games, claiming the 100m titles in 1991, 1995 and 2003 as well as bronze in 1987, with gold medals also from the 200m in 1987, 1995 and 2003; while additionally helping the Nigerian women’s 4 × 100 m relay team win all races in the continental sports showpiece between 1987 and 2003.
Her consecutive Olympic appearances from 1988 to 2004 made her the first Nigerian to compete at five editions of the Games, before it was equaled by table tennis players, Bose Kaffo in the females and men’s icon, Segun Toriola four years later in Beijing , China.
Before her appointment as special adviser to the minister of sports, Onyali earlier served as the special adviser (technical) to the director general of National Sports Commission and was a part of a consultation committee for the proposed Sports University of Nigeria, Idumuje-Ugboko.
Onyali stated during Mega Sports on Star 101.5 FM, Lagos: “The decision came up from many messages and phone calls. It’s something we call ARF. Many of the athletes kept contacting some of us, even I got some calls and messages from those who said they are feeling financial difficulties caused by coronavirus lockdown.
”I worked in contact with our HM, and we started something to help our athletes. The minister got involved, and we came to an agreement to help some with N50,000 each, just to help them as palliatives to overcome the current financial difficulties.”
