The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh has stated that the Ministry will prioritize welfare, early camping and preparations for athletes, as Team Nigeria counts down to the All-Africa Games and Summer Olympic Games, to be held next year in Accra and Paris respectively.
The Minister made this known during a chat with his media team, in Abuja, as he reiterated the importance of starting preparations early enough.
He added that providing training tours for athletes early enough will not only put them in proper shape, but under the right conditions, it will also help them acclimatize to anticipated weather experience.
“In the build-up to the World Athletics Championships, the Jamaican track team spent about a month in Budapest,” the Minister narrated. “You can not compare the performance of athletes that had this kind of exposure before a tournament, to athletes that didn’t have the same”
“One of the things that the Ministry is going to do, will be to ensure that it secures training camps within or outside Nigeria (as necessary) early enough for athletes to prepare properly, acclimatize and get exposure to facilities before championships.
With some elite Nigerian athletes plying their trade abroad, it holds a two-faced reality for the nation. While this means some athletes are exposed to world class working environments, it could also lead to scheduling conflicts for pre-championship training camps.
Senator Enoh concluded that the Ministry will continually work with athletes and Federations to ensure plans are executed smoothly without jeopardy.
The All-African Games is scheduled to be held in Accra, Ghana between March 8 – 23, 2024. Also, the Summer Olympic Games will take place in Paris, France between July 24 – 11 August, 2024.
