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By Amaechi Agbo

Former Olympic gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa has stated that the visit of International Olympics President, Thomas Bach to country will motivate Nigerian athletes ahead of the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Mrs Ajunwa became the first Nigerian and West Africa individual to win a gold medal in long jump and the 1996 Olympics event in Atlanta, USA said that the two-day visit by the number one Olympic man in the world is a mark of solidarity and charged coaches to ensure they instilled the impact of the visit on the athletes

Mrs Ajunwa who is an Assistant Commissioner of Police in the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos Command was among the high-powered dignitaries who accompanied Mr Bach to the MKO Abiola Stadium and The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, ANOCA for inspection and official commissioning, respectively.

“I believe it was a solidarity visit and that gives us a kind of moral that we have a very good relationship with the IOC President because I do not think that if he does not like Nigeria that he would have visited Nigeria and coming to commission ANOCA means that we have a place for our people to train.

“That is an opportunity that has never been given to Nigeria in the past. This time around, Nigeria should take it as an opportunity to ask just as we requested for some things from him for support. He accepted that the IOC will be supporting Nigeria and Africa as a whole. It is a good thing to us

“The IOC President’s visit will motivate Nigeria athletes to do more because if he visited us and the Olympic is by the corner, if they cannot be motivated by his presence, it then means that we do not know what we are doing. To me personally, I believe it will motivate the athletes.

“Another thing is that the officials of Nigeria sports family should utilise the opportunity and ginger their athletes and make sure that our name will be written on the IOC good books because it is not easy for the IOC president to visit a country. He has not been visiting other countries.

“So his visit is a good thing and a good relationship that we have to build and depend on that to grow,” she said.

Chioma Ajunwa is the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event.