Commonwealth Games: Athletes expectant as President Buhari set to host victorious team

As Nigerians look forward to the presidential reception for members of victorious Team Nigerian to the just concluded Commonwealth Games tagged Birmingham 2002 by President Muhammadu Buhari, the athletes are not only looking forward to a grand and befitting reception but also monetary rewards for their performances which were Nigeria’s best in the history of the Games.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has assured members of the historic Team Nigeria contingent of a presidential reception.

Tribune Sports gathered that the athletes are in high spirits and expectant ahead of the reception and believe that the President who has rewarded and redeemed pledges to Nigerian sportsmen and women since coming to power in 2015 will reward their heroic performances. It would be recalled that Buhari in 2016 a year after his election as president rewarded the Golden Eaglets class of 1985 with N2 million each while the coaches were given N1.5 million each. Also in 2021, the president redeemed the houses pledged to members of the victorious 1994 Super Eagles who won the 1994 AFCON hosted in Tunisia.

The medallists in Birmingham got rewarded for their efforts. While the gold medal winners received $5,000; silver medalists got $3,000, and bronze medalists got $2,000 but like Oliver Twist, the athletes want more and expect that the president as the father of the nation will reward their effort which has put Nigeria on the global map sports-wise.

Nigeria participated in nine sports namely; athletics, wrestling, boxing, karate, table tennis, weightlifting, para-athletics, para-powerlifting and para-table tennis winning 12 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze medals.

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