In a bid to boost the morale of athletes ahead of the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris, France, the Nigerian government has announced a substantial financial reward for medal winners.
The Secretary General of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria (PCN), Suleiman Isah, revealed that each gold medalist will receive $15,000 (approximately N23.6 million), while silver and bronze medalists will be rewarded with $10,000 (about N15.7 million) and $5,000 (around N7.9 million) respectively.
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Isah made this announcement during a press briefing, emphasizing that the Minister of Sports, John Enoh, had personally assured the athletes of these rewards to inspire outstanding performances at the Paralympic Games
“The Minister of Sports has assured monetary rewards to the athletes that excel at the Games. He promised every gold medal ($15,000), silver medal ($10,000), and bronze ($5,000). This will serve as motivation for the athletes, so we expect all the athletes to do well at the Games,” Isah stated.
As preparations for the Games intensify, Team Nigeria is currently on a training tour in Germany. Head coach Nasiru Sule, who previously won a bronze medal in table tennis at the Atlanta Paralympics, expressed confidence in the team’s readiness.
He praised the calm and conducive atmosphere in camp, saying, “The athletes have been training well and vigorously too in order to make the country proud at the Games.”
Sule further highlighted the determination and high spirits within the team, stating, “We are in high spirits and battle ready to go. The training has been going well as planned, and I am optimistic that we are coming home with medals.”
Nigeria will compete in four sports at the Paris Games—athletics, badminton, para-powerlifting, and para table tennis—hoping to build on their impressive haul of ten medals from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
The Games are scheduled to take place from August 28 to September 8, 2024.
