The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has sent words of encouragement to the duo of Praise Ofoku and Godson Brume who fell short of podium places in the finals of their events at the ongoing World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.
Both promising Team Nigeria hopefuls had posted impressive times in the build-up to Thursday’s final of their events(100m women and men), only to fall short of expectations.
Ofoku finished fourth in the women’s final, failing to recover from a slow start while Brume finished in the last place.
But Sports Minister Sunday Dare would rather pick some positives from both athletes’ outings, urging them not to drop their heads and shoulders.
“Nobody wants to lose in a final or fail to finish on the podium especially after working and preparing so hard. I know Ofoku and Brume are so unhappy with themselves right now but I want them to know that I am proud of them,” Dare said.
“They should not be downcast or demoralized. Getting to the finals of their events are achievements that should lay a solid foundation for their careers. It shows that the future is bright. We will encourage this new AFN board to monitor them and ensure they get all the necessary support needed to improve and get better.
“Remember they are young and inexperienced. Not knowing how to cope with pressure but they will learn from what has happened. I believe these are mere stepping stones to future greatness for them,” he concluded.
