Buhari assures on Nigeria’s participation in 2018 Commonwealth Games News

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Buhari assures on Nigeria’s participation in 2018 Commonwealth Games

By Daily Sports on April 4, 2017

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that the country would participate with an adequately prepared contingent in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

Buhari gave the assurance as he received the Queens Baton Relay in Lagos yesterday.

The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, flagged off the Queen’s Baton Relay on March 13 in London which coincided with the Commonwealth Day.

“It’s a great pleasure to receive the Queen’s Baton Relay in Nigeria. The Baton is expected to move round all the Commonwealth nations.

“Next year’s edition, which is the 21st Commonwealth Games, will mark Nigeria’s fifth participation in the Queen’s Relay. The Queen’s Baton Relay is a challenge for us to prepare for the Games.

“We plan to send a ready team of athletes to the Games with the hope of surpassing our past records in terms of medal haul,” said Buhari, represented by the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung.

“We will not relent in our role of ensuring that athletes are equipped with adequate resources for training and participation in the competition.

“Government must invest and transform training facilities and uplift the technical men. We will continue to pursue this as a noble policy that will take Nigeria forward.”

He said that Buhari couldn’t come to receive the Queen’s Baton Relay personally and asked him to do that on his behalf and that of the entire sport-loving Nigerians.

Habu Gumel, the President, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), said that Nigeria had been a strong force in the Commonwealth sports community.

“Since our debut in the 1950 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, our nation’s profile at the quadrennial Games has been on the rise.

“Nigerian athletes have never failed to prove their mettle in placing our nation on the scoreboard of this global sporting fiesta.

“For our nation to sustain the winning momentum at the Commonwealth level, we will require all the support of both the public and private sector, especially in the area of funding.

“This will ensure adequate preparation for the participation of our contingent. We therefore, solicit the continuous support of everyone,” Gumel said. (NAN)

Source Daily Sports

Posted April 4, 2017