Nigeria ‘ll win nothing in Beijing - Ngerem

Patrick Ngwaogu Abuja - 30.04.2008

From left, Mr. Mumuni Alao, MD CCL, Samm
Audu Consultant 442, Mrs Ugochi Pedro,
Group Company Secretary, OSMI, Pastor
Wale Aderoju executive director, OSMI and
Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, FIFA Insructor, at
the launching of the new Four-Four-Two
Nigeria sports magazine
held in Lagos on Monday. FORMER President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Mr. Dan Ngerem has advised Nigerians to forget about winning any medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

In an exclusive interview with Tribunesports in Abuja, Ngerem said that it would amount to day dreaming for any one to be dreaming of Nigeria winning any medal at the Games, considering the country’s level of preparation.

“We have four years to prepare for the Olympic games. Remember after the Athens games, we had a one-man Omeruah panel that articulated the way forward, what happened to the report? We should be preparing for the 2012 Olympic Games and not the one which starts on August 12, 2008,” he said.

Continuing, the former athletics boss said, “By now, all athletes have signed their contracts. They would not rely on the country, because if they get injured, who takes care of them; if they die would the country care for them? They would have to complete their contracts because their managers are Europeans and core businessmen. They are there for their own gains, they don’t care if Nigeria wins a medal or not. So they make the athletes run out themselves before any major event.”

He stated that the country should rise up to the responsibility of giving the welfare of our athletes a top priority.

“If we don’t do it, even if we give them money late, they would still complete their contracts in Europe which would be to the detriment of the country.”