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The federal
government at the weekend doled out cash rewards to Nigerian athletes
who won medals for the country at various international sports
championships since 2009.

At a dinner
organised for the athletes at the Banquet Hall of the presidential
villa, President Goodluck Jonathan commended them for their indomitable
spirit and commitment to excellence, noting that they left no one in
doubt that given the enabling environment, Nigerian youth can hold
their own any day against the best of the world.

The President
urged the Nigerian Sports Commission and other sports agencies in the
country to do everything possible to improve Nigeria’s records at the
forth coming Olympics in London and other championships.

“The 2011 All
African Games in Maputo, Mozambique, and the 2012 Olympics in London,
England are around the corner. Now is the time for our sports
administrators, the various technical teams and our gallant sportsmen
and women to do all that is necessary to ensure that Nigeria not only
come tops at the All African Games but also emerge among the top
nations at the London Olympics,” Mr Jonathan said.

He added that his
administration will always recognise and reward outstanding service to
the fatherland in all spheres of national life.

At the reception
for the Falcons last year, the president had promised to specially host
all athletes who had won in different categories, with cash prizes to
got with it.

Earlier, the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, said the
President has set a precedence in the nation’s democratic dispensation
by rewarding deserving athletes with financial incentives beyond the
traditional presidential handshake.

“We had a
presidential directive to include every athlete who had done this
nation proud at one event or the other within the given period,” he
said.

The athletes and
officials who were awarded various cash prizes each ranging from N150,
000.00 to N1.5m include the gold-winning Falcons at the 2010 African
Women Championship in South Africa; the silver-winning Golden Eaglets
team at the 2009 U-17 FIFA World Cup in Nigeria; medalists at the Youth
Olympic Games, Singapore 2010; African Scrabble Championship, Ghana
2010; and the African Junior Wrestling Championship, Egypt 2010. Others
include the silver-winning Falconets at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women World
Cup in Germany; medalists at the Commonwealth Games, Delhi 2010; the
African Athletics Championship, Kenya 2010; the World Junior Athletics
Championship, Canada 2010; the World Wrestling Championship, Russia
2010; the African Scrabble Championship, Ghana 2010; African Senior
Wrestling Championship, Egypt 2010; and the All African Senior
Badminton Championship, Kenya 2010.

The president, clad
in the traditional Nigerian green and white jersey along with his wife,
Patience Jonathan; Vice President Namadi Sambo and his wife as well as
Senate President David Mark and his wife later posed for group
photographs with the victorious contingents.