By Amaechi Agbo

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare has charged the U-23 Olympic team preparing for the 2019 U-23 Nations Cup in Egypt to remain focused, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report.

The minister gave the charge Friday when he paid a visit to the team’s hotel in Abuja.

Mr Dare during the visit urged the players to put their loss to the Sparrow Hawks of Togo last Saturday behind them and work towards representing the country well in Egypt.

“I watched you play on Saturday, you played out your hearts but that is the way it is in sports. Life is like sports. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but you are still a winner that is, if you take the lessons from losing and use that to become a winner, but if you don’t carry forward the lessons you learnt from losing, then you can never become a winner. So, I am here today (Friday) because I know you are winners. I want to encourage you as you go to Egypt, we have started preparations for the Olympics and Nigerians want you at the Olympics”.

While commending the head coach Imama Amapakabo and the technical crew for the hardwork they have put in to get the boys where they are, he urged them not to relent as there was still a lot of work to be done.

He therefore tasked the players to give a good account of themselves in Egypt and promised that the Ministry would do all within its power to provide the necessary support they need before the team leaves for the North African country.

Responding on behalf of the team, coach Imama Amapakabo expressed the team’s excitement at the Minister’s visit and thanked him for taking out time from his tight schedule to visit and motivate the team. While thanking the Minister for his support for the team within his short time in office, he promised the team would try their best to represent the country well at the Under-23 AFCON tournament.

The Olympic team is paired in group B of the of the championship where they will defending their crown against Ivory Coast, Zambia and South Africa