NSC Not Setting Targets For AFN At London Games

Despite promising to reward members of Team Nigeria contingents to the London 2012 Olympics next month with cash rewards, the National Sports Commission, NSC have said that they are not setting targets for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN headed by Solomon Ogba.

Julius Ogunro, Personal Assistant to the Minister of Sports and Chairman National Sports Commission, Bolaji Abdullahi informed Athletics Weekly on phone yesterday that they have not given the AFN any target but they should go and do their best at the Olympic Games.

He disclosed that the NSC is leaving nothing to chance in ensuring that the athletes perform creditably well at the Games stressing that he is upbeat that they would do well.

Continuing Ogunro stated that he is also sure that the athletes that would fly Nigeria’s flag in London will not be pushovers adding that the athletes are capable of surpassing Nigeria’s previous achievements at the Olympics.

According to him ‘We have not set any target for the athletes, all we are doing is to form them to make a statement in London, the athletes have been preparing hard for the Games and I know they can return with medals’.

‘we don’t want to put the athletes under any undue pressure  that is why we have not set targets for them’.

Speaking on the form of First Bank of Nigeria’s Ambassador and reigning national 100m champion, Blessing Okagbare and her chances of winning a medal, he said he does not want to comment because it would be as if he is preempting what will happen.

In a related development, Nigeria’s foremost athletics administrator and International Association of Athletics Federations, IAAF Coaching Instructor and Course Director, Rotimi Obajimi hailed Firstbank for christening, Okagbare its brand ambassador.

Obajimi is however not surprised that Firstbank has taken another giant step in its policy on youth empowerment revealing that the bank has continued to be very consistent in its support for not only sporting activities but also social activities.

‘’I’m not surprised Firstbank is blazing the trail in the area of endorsing athletes outside our footballers.The bank has maintained its leading role among all financial institutions in Nigeria. It has consistently lead the way in the area of sports sponsorships as well as sponsorships of other social events.