Parish Olympics: Customs CG, Adeniyi, hosts Sports Minister, NWF board members, athletes
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has hosted the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, board members of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) and athletes after their return from the just-concluded 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Adeniyi said the gesture was to commend them for their patriotism and strong representation of the country at the tournament, particularly their ability to showcase themselves by reaching semi-finals and quarterfinals during at the event.
The event which took place at the Service’s Management Quarters in Abuja, was attended by the athletes and their coaches.
The CGC used the occasion to encourage the athletes to have a rethink and restrategise through training to do better in the next edition of the tournament.
While addressing the guests, CGC Adeniyi expressed confidence that with the right support and environment, the wrestlers would soon return to medal-winning form.
“The reason behind organising this feast is simple. As our athletes returned, we ought to celebrate their efforts, despite the lack of medals, because it will serve as an inspiration for younger athletes, Adeniyi said.”
While commending them further, CGC Adeniyi said the friendly reception was also aimed at his expressing his value for dedication and hard work demonstrated by the Federation during and after the event, regardless of the athletes’ poor outing.
“We stay together when we are happy and stay together when we are not happy. We have a very useful lesson to learn from the experience we had at the recently- concluded Olympics in Paris. This reception, therefore, offers us the opportunity to come together to appreciate our athletes and officials for the effort it has taken them to go this far,” Adeniyi said.
“The Olympics takes place in one month every four years but we know that sometimes it takes about ten years for an athlete to prepare adequately for an Olympic. Our athletes and officials qualified for the Olympics which is the highest level of performance in the world. They gave their best but it was unfortunate that they were unable to win medals,” CGC Adeniyi added.
He further stated that the outcome of the game did not portray the end of the world, “because we know that they have done it before and it is our belief that with the right support and environment, they will do it again.”
“Let me repeat that it is not only when we win that we should have this kind of reception. We find it necessary for us to show our athletes and officials that we are indeed a federation and country that appreciates what they’ve done. We want to continue to encourage these athletes and to serve as a reference for the younger ones coming behind them that the Federation and indeed the country would always appreciate the efforts they put in, irrespective of the outcome,” CGC Adeniyi said.
The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, commended the CGC and the president of Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Daniel Igali, for hosting the wrestling team.
Minister Enoh, who applauded the leadership of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation for their commitment and harmonious teamwork, also expressed optimism that the team would change the narratives in the near future.
He also urged the athletes not to consider the current results as a defeat, but as a challenge to buckle-up and make a difference in the forthcoming games season.
Earlier, Igali had acknowledged the CGC’s enduring involvement in the board activities and assured the minister of the team’s commitment to soaring higher in the forthcoming games season.
He said: “Ever since you became board members of the Federation, you have completely changed and shaped the way we undertake our activities. We can not thank you enough for your kind gestures.”
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