The director-general of Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, has promised that the country’s delegation to the forthcoming World Wrestling Championship in Croatia would be handsomely rewarded if they return home with gold medals.
Sports247 reports that Nigeria has a silver and five bronze medals to show, but the country is yet to win a single gold in the history of the annual competition, which has made wrestling federation officials desperate to get at least one at this year’s championship, which is being held from September 13-21 in Zagreb.
With memory still fresh about how Nigeria’s most recent contingents have failed to break the jinx, Olopade says the current delegation could be the ones to make history, especially as they have been well motivated by NSC’s chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko and other top shots in the sports sector.
While hinting that the senior male basketball team (D’Tigers) and home-based men’s football squad (Eagles-B) both missed presidential rewards after falling short in their recent outings, Olopade reassured the wrestlers that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will show great appreciation if they make him happy.
Olopade reiterated, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mallam Shehu Dikko have said in their own way, ‘Go to Croatia, make Nigeria proud, come back to a grateful nation, and you will see what will happen.’
“Our president, who is the father of the nation, has changed the way we reward people who go out and excel. So, we are going to reward you once you win.”
He further cited recent largesse poured on the female football team, Super Falcons, and women’s basketball squad, D’Tigress, by the federal government, then posited that an individual gold medal would be considered a lot more precious than what the collective players won.
“I don’t need to tell you that a gold medal at the world championship is bigger than a gold medal in WAFCON or AfroBasketball.
“So, your gold medal or silver medal at the Wrestling World Championship will be something big for us to cherish in history,” reiterated the NSC’s DG.
Sports247 gathered that Nigeria will contest for laurels in men’s and women’s categories of both Greco-Roman and freestyle classifications at the forthcoming championship organised by United World Wrestling (UWW).
, Honourable Bukola Olopade, has promised that the country's delegation){kind=link}