A top official of Nigeria’s ministry of sports has expressed optimism that the country’s contingent to the ongoing Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan will return home with a horde of medals, megasportsarena.com reports.
This verdict was provided by Nigeria’s chef de mission, Mr Peter Nelson, who is also acting director of planning, monitoring, and information in the federal ministry of youth and sports development.
He stated on the sidelines of the opening ceremony that Nigeria’s Paralympic athletes know what is at stake in Tokyo and assured that they are determined to satisfy the aspirations of their teeming compatriots back home and across the world.
Nelson was beaming with delight, as the contingent of Team Nigeria was the cynosure of all eyes at Tuesday’s opening ceremony in Tokyo, where the athletes filed out in green and white garbs that provide a beautiful setting in front of a handful of people present, due to COVID-19 rules.
Nelson enthused: “By God’s grace medals will start to roll in for Team Nigeria as soon as the different events begin.
“We are so glad that Team Nigeria to this Paralympics Games knows what is at stake. They understand the aspirations of all Nigerians here in Tokyo, Japan. We are looking forward to a memorable outing.
“The athletes are in very high spirit ahead of their respective events. The support and prayers of Nigerians is key and the element of luck cannot be ruled out at this level.”
A similar view was expressed by the secretary general of Nigeria Paralympic Committee, Suleiman Isah, who stressed that he believes the nation’s athletes will not disappoint in Tokyo and highlighted several events in which he expects them to flourish.
He noted that 2020 was a devastating year for the sector, due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the Paralympics to be postponed until this year, but added that he remains optimistic of the country’s medal prospects in its eighth successive appearance.
“[Paralympic] sport was the worst hit in the year 2020 because many athletes, who had hoped that their participation in the Paralympics Games will increase their economic gains.
“(They needed) to get them endorsements, but unfortunately COVID-19 stopped many athletes from competing in the qualifiers.
“We pray that when the windows are open in January or February we can regain what we lost in 2020. I am confident that the special athletes will not disappoint Nigeria,” Isah concluded.
