Tokyo 2020: NOC tasks sports federations, stakeholders

National Sporting Federations operating in the country have been charged to wake up from their slumber by re-strategising ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan if Nigeria must make meaningful impact at the Games.

This was the fallout of the 2016 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Olympic Committee held at the Conference Hall of the Star View Palace Hotel, Abuja where over forty delegates representing various sporting Federations were in attendance.

President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee Engr. Habu Gumel gave the charge while giving his key note address at occasion.

According to him, the next Olympic movement period that has started with 2017 Olympic year is loaded with activities to prove that it is indeed going to be a busy year for sports globally starting with the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bahamas in July 2017; the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan in May 2017; the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina in October 2018; the African Youth Games in Algiers, Algeria in 2018; the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in April 2018 and the 2019 All Africa Games whose venue is yet to be determined.

And with all these activities lined up ahead of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, “We in the Federations must wake up from our slumber and rise to the occasion.

We must not fold our hands and expect miracle to happen.

We need to work hard enough to reposition our sports instead of depending on government. We must not depend on government because government cannot do it all alone.

We must look for sponsors for our programmes and encourage private partnership for our sports.

“The NOC on its part will continue to provide the needed technical support for the Federation by training coaches in our Train-the-Trainers Solidarity programme and providing Scholarship for our athletes for them to improve on their skill.

We did this ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. We will continue to work hand-in-hand with the IOC ANOCA for more technical support for our sports,” he said.

Also speaking, the Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Hon. Babatunde Popoola, emphasized on the need for unity among the various Sports Federations even as he promised that the NOC will continue to work for the peaceful co-existence between the NOC and the ministry of sports.