Nigeria Content Online

Nigerian
athletes at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, have
appealed to the sports minister Ibrahim Bio to return to the Games. The
athletes said they want the minister to come back and give them the
moral and financial support, which had spurred them to produce the best
performance by any Nigerian team since the 1994 Games in Victoria,
Canada.

Bio was in India at the start of the Games but had to return to Nigeria on Friday.

Ndidi Eze a
weightlifter, who could not complete her event because she got injured
said, “Normally, when you are competing for Nigeria and you make a
mistake or get injured, the officials will abuse and insult you, but
this minister (Bio) is not like that. He is always moving from one
venue to the other cheering us.

“Ministers before him will just sit in their hotels, or they will go shopping, but he is always with us,” she added.

“I got the biggest shock of this Games when I was injured and could not complete my event.

“He gave me $500. I
was really touched, not just for the money, but that somebody
appreciated me. We are missing him, let him come back please.”

More than a minister

Weightlifter,
Augustina Nwaokolo, who won the Games’ first gold medal and got $1000
from Bio for her effort, also can’t wait to see the man return.

“We are really missing him,” she said. “To us he is not the minister but our friend. The man is too simple and humble.

“He is always in
the stands with us. The way he was dancing with IOC member Habu Gumel
when I won my medal, one would think he was the one that won the medal.

“After the ceremony, he gave me a thousand dollars, I am very happy,” said Nwaokolo.

Onyeka Azike, who
won a silver medal in weightlifting and was rewarded with $500 by the
minister, prays that Bio will return soon to continue to motivate them.

Those who won medals after Bio left New Delhi are also hoping he returns, to give them gifts as well.

According to Toyin Aluko, Bio’s special assistant, everyday, medallists ask her when the minister will be returning to India.

A female gold medallist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said with proper support, athletes will perform better.

“Our performance
here shows that if government could invest half of the money they
invest on football on other sports, the country will be better off.

“When people
mention Jamaica Usain Bolt comes to mind. Our footballers have failed
the nation, they have not won anything in the last ten years.

“At the last World Cup they got only one point out of nine, what a
shame. I’m not happy that the minister abandoned his friends who are
doing well for football, we will only forgive him if comes back to
Delhi.”