The Federal Government gave a hero’s welcome to the first group of Team Nigeria athletes upon their arrival following their excellent outing at the recently finished Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, welcomed the athletes and their representatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja today.

He praised the team’s outstanding performance, which resulted in the collection of 35 medals and propelled Nigeria to the seventh spot on the list of sporting nations in the world.

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The Minister, who was represented by Alh. Ismaila Abubakar, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, acknowledged the happiness of the entire nation over their amazing accomplishment, which was a first in the history of the country.

The Minister thanked God in particular for allowing the athletes safe passage back to Nigeria and praised President Muhammadu Buhari for establishing the favorable conditions that made the realization of the 2022 Commonwealth Games possible.

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), headed by Engr. Habu Gumel, as well as the coaches and officials were also recognized by Dare for their dedication to the growth of sports in the nation.

Earlier, Team Nigeria received praise from Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, for raising the nation’s flag high among the committee of nations.

The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by Mr. Peter Nelson, Director of the Ministry’s National Sports Festival & Para Sports (NSF & PS) Department, reaffirmed the Ministry’s oath of commitment to seeing that the current administration’s policy priorities in the area of youth and sports development are realized.

The two-time Commonwealth gold medalist and Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Blessing Oborodudu praised President Muhammadu Buhari for all of his support for the Team and referred to him as the “father of sports in modern Nigeria” in his remarks on behalf of the athletes.

Oborududu continued by saying that the athletes gave it their all for the country because of the Federal government’s huge support and the sports-loving Nigerians’ promise that they would continue to make Nigeria proud in upcoming events by setting new, admirable world records.