Sports

Dalung promises better preparations for Tokyo 2020

Published

8 years ago

August 19, 2016

Nigerian athletes have been promised better preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with Team Nigeria yet to register its name on the medals table after Day 15 of the 2016 Olympic Games.

Reacting to questions in Rio after Nigerian athletes in boxing, table tennis, rowing, wrestling and others failed to achieve a podium finish, the Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung explained that the results in Rio were a reflection of the level of preparations for the games.

Read Also : Rohr picks Mikel, Osimhen, five U-23 Eagles against Tanzania

“It takes a minimum plan of 4 years to prepare for an Olympics. We have seen that the likes of Divine Oduduru, Blessing Okagbare, Aruna Quadri, Efe Ajagba, Ese Brume, Chierika Ukogu and others would have made the desired impact if we had done the needful after the London 2012 misadventure.

“Success in sports no longer depends on skills and determination. Sports has gone scientific. It is time now to develop sports from the grassroots using sports science. It is not just to compete but we need to be in tune with modern day sports. We can also start to develop other sports ike water sports, gymnastics, long distance races, etc”

Dalung promised to establish a system that would enable early preparations for the next games.

“We are going to put in place a structure that will enable us to start early preparations for the next Olympics which must include provision of equipment and facilities. All stakeholders including the Nigeria Olympic Committee, the sports federations, zones, state and local government councils will be carried along in our quest to excel in future.

The corporate world will also be taken into cognizance. We will kick-start our preparations for next Olympics when I meet with all federations’ presidents to do a review and submit extensive programs which will prepare us for Tokyo 2020.”

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now