Osinbajo flags-off nationwide sports activities pageant’s ‘Contact of Unity’

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has flagged-off the motion of the ‘Torch of Unity’ for the twenty first Nationwide Sports activities Competition scheduled to carry in Delta State in November 2022.

He stated that going by the latest performances of Nigerian athletes at worldwide competitions, it’s apparent that the agenda of the federal authorities within the sports activities sector is yielding the specified outcomes.

“We’re nonetheless basking within the euphoria of the excellent efficiency of Staff Nigeria on the simply concluded Commonwealth Video games in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

“The efficiency of Staff Nigeria clearly demonstrates that the progressive agenda of the Federal Authorities for the sports activities sector is yielding the specified outcomes.

“We’re dedicated to rendering steady assist to the sports activities sector to maintain the heights already attained, in addition to realise our general purpose of utilizing sports activities as a veritable device to meaningfully interact our teeming youth inhabitants,” he stated.

Citing examples of profitable Nigerian athletes found at earlier editions of the festivals, the Vice President stated: “The Nationwide Sports activities Competition is a vital exercise within the sporting lifetime of our nation. It’s the breeding floor and an engine room for the manufacturing of the very excellent skills that may go on to turn out to be world champions.”

He stated the exploits of some “nice champions who had been found at varied Nationwide Sports activities Festivals, together with Blessing Okagbare, a world medalist within the 200 metres; Olympic and World Championships Medalist within the Lengthy Bounce. Chioma Ajunwa, notable for being the primary Nigerian to win Gold on the 1996 Summer time Olympics in Atlanta and first black African lady to win an Olympic Gold medal in a discipline occasion.”

The Vice President additionally talked about the likes of Olusoji Fasuba, Lucy Ejike, Enefiok Udo-Obong and present world file holder within the ladies’s 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan.

“Olusoji Adetokunbo Fasuba was the African file holder and gold medalist within the 100 metres occasion with 9.85 seconds, till Akani Simbine broke it in July 2021 with a time of 9.84 seconds.

“Enefiok Udo-Obong is the one Nigerian male athlete to have received two Olympic medals (successful silver – later elevated to gold- within the 2000 Olympics 4×400 metres relay; and bronze within the 2004 Olympics 4×400 metres relay).

“Lucy Ejike, a gold medalist and world file holder on the Paralympic Video games (between 2000 and 2016, Ejike competed at 5 Paralympic Video games, successful three golds and two silvers).

“And naturally, the now legendary Tobi Amusan, the present World, Commonwealth and African champion within the ladies’s 100 metres hurdles. She can be the file holder within the three competitions,” he stated.

The Vice President recommended the Delta State authorities for accepting to host the occasion and for the efforts it was making in delivering a really profitable pageant.

In his remarks, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa stated the state was ready to host the athletes, officers and different company to the twenty first version of the video games.

He stated sporting services and different related infrastructure for a profitable pageant could be in place earlier than the opening ceremonies for the pageant on November 28.

Additionally talking, the Minister of Youth and Sports activities Growth, Mr Sunday Dare, stated the ministry has made efforts to ship a profitable pageant, assuring that extra world champions will emerge from the twenty first version, tagged Delta 2022.

The highpoint of the occasion was the handing over of the pageant torch tagged “torch of unity” to the Vice President by the Sports activities Minister, earlier than the torch is taken on a symbolic journey throughout the nation, till it reaches Delta State, the place the video games could be held.