Minister Praises Customs Boss, Wrestling Federation President for Honoring Olympic Athletes
Minister Praises Customs Boss, Wrestling Federation President for Honoring Olympic Athletes
Sen. John Owan Enoh, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, has praised Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi and Daniel Igali, President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), for organizing a special reception in honor of the wrestling team. The event, held on Saturday in Abuja, celebrated the athletes and officials of the NWF despite their not winning any medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
During the reception, Minister Enoh acknowledged the federation as the first to publicly recognize its athletes’ dedication and patriotism, even in the face of challenging outcomes.
He expressed his surprise and admiration upon receiving the invitation for the event, commending the gesture as an uplifting and motivating show of support for the athletes.
“I was surprised when I got the invitation from the CG Customs and the board members of this federation about this reception. It is a very uplifting, motivating, and positive way to encourage the athletes. I thank the CG for this, and I think that Nigerians need to know about this,” Enoh remarked.
The minister also addressed the negative reactions to Team Nigeria’s performance at the Paris Olympics, acknowledging the disappointment but calling for patience and continued support for the athletes. He emphasized that Nigeria has a history of strong performances in international competitions and urged the public to remain optimistic.
Enoh highlighted that while Nigeria faced setbacks in recent competitions, such as the 2021/2022 AFCON in Cameroon, where the team did not advance beyond the group stages, the country has shown significant improvement. He cited the national team’s progression to the finals in the current year’s AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire and the ongoing preparations of para-athletes in Germany for the upcoming Paralympic Games.
The minister concluded by appealing for patience and support as Nigeria prepares to compete in future international events.
The reports gathered that six wrestlers, comprising one male and five females, represented Nigeria at the 2024 Olympics.
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