Deji Elumoye in Abuja and James Sowolein Abeokuta
President Muhammadu Buhari has hailed Team Nigeria and the coaching crew for making Nigeria proud by winning 35 medals at the 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
As the curtain falls on the Games today, the President, in a release issued Sunday eveningby his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, celebrated the athletes that represented Nigeria gloriously in the competition.
He joined millions of other sports loving Nigerians who watched some of the colourful and spectacular moments in the 11-day competition, which had no fewer than 5,000 athletes representing 72 nations and territories, competing in 280 medal events.
Saluting the memorable display of Team Nigeria athletes, the President commended the 94 worthy ambassadors that proudly flew the Nigerian flag in nine sporting events, and for those exciting moments when the medalists brought smiles to our faces by breaking world, national and games records, as well as achieving personal bests in their career.
With 35 medals, including 12 gold, 9 silver and 14 bronze harvested by close of competition last night, the President thanked the shining stars of Nigeria for competing among the best in the world and displaying their God-given attributes of the real Nigerian- never give up, strive to the end.
According to him: ‘‘We are proud of these achievements and the memories will linger with the nation forever and for me this is a special moment and a fitting parting gift, being my last Commonwealth Games as Head of State”.
Speaking yesterday also, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, congratulated Nigerian sprinter and world champion, Tobi Amusan, on winning a gold medal in the Women’s 100m hurdles event at the Games.
“Our golden girl has done it, again. This is a testament to the fact that she is consistent, reliable and deserved the World Record, indeed. This is a moment of joy for us all in Ogun State and Nigeria and we are pleased at her streak of successes”, Abiodun said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin.
According to the governor, this made her “the first World Champion to win Gold in the event and the first Nigerian athlete ever – dead or alive – to be crowned champion at all levels of athletics in the same year.”
Congratulating the Ogun State-born athlete, the governor described her feat as heroic, saying this is following and improving on the records of her other Ogun stars like Modupe Oshikoya, Falilat, Ogunkoya-Osheku and other compatriots.
“On behalf of the government and people of Ogun, I say big congratulations to one of our finest in the field of sports. Oluwatobiloba Amusan has once again made us proud as a people. In Ogun, we shall continue to celebrate our icons and stars, while we shall also continue to encourage the budding talents across Ogun,” Abiodun was quoted to have stated in the statement.
