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Amaechi Agbo

The President, Nigeria Olympics Committee, NOC, Habu Gumel has charged sports federations presidents in the country to prepare their athletes effectively to ensure that they win medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Bestchoicesports.com.ng can report. 
The president made the call while addressing the presidents, secretaries and directors of all the sports federations in the country in the just concluded two-day Interactive meeting between the honourable Minister of Youth and Sports and the federations in Abuja today. 
The meeting/workshop which was held to forster a strategic repositioning of result-oreiented national sports federations and effective preparations/participation at the the 2019 All Africa Games and 2020 Tokyo Olympics, had all the federations in attendance. 
Addressing the stakeholders, Gumel appealed to them not to leave any stone unturned in ensuring that Nigeria delegates to the Olympics came back with medals
The NOC President who lamented that the only medal Nigeria could boast of in the last Rio Olympics in Brazil was a bronze medal despite billions spent for the tournament, and called on them to change the narative.
“I want to thank you all for participating actively in this meeting/workshop. This gathering is important in all ramifications. 
“First and foremost, it is an avenue to let us know that the position of this country when it comes to global competitions such as Olympics need a change. We need to move to the next level. 
“I appeal to you all to ensure, in your various positions and capacities that our athletes win medals in Japan next year.  The ministry has done enough in this regard and the only way we can reciprocate the gesture is by showing results. We can only show results by winning medals. Mere participation is not enough, we must participate and make our marks
“The fact that we won only a bronze medal in 2016 Olympics is a sour history. We want the history changed in Tokyo 2020. Nigerians dersve better and greater representation next year, ” he said.