President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday rewarded members of the nation’s Under-16 Football Team that won the 1985 FIFA Championship when he was military Head of State.
He announced a reward of N2m each to the players that included Fatai Atere, Nduka Ugbade, Jonathan Akpoborie, Baldwin Bazuaye, Victor Igbinoba and late Kingsley Aikiobare among others.
Buhari announced the rewards at a presidential reception organised for outstanding athletes/officials who did Nigeria proud in recent sports competitions held inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He also announced a reward of N1.5m each for the team’s coaches.
Buhari however caused a stir when he first mistakenly announced rewards of N200m each for the players.Amidst excitement in the hall, Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, mounted the podium to correct the error.
For the team that won gold medal in the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, Buhari announced rewards of N1.2m each for the players; N900,000 for the Head Coach; N300,000 for Team Secretary and medical team as well as N200,00 each for other officials.
For the team that won gold medal in the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal, the players and Head Coach got N500,000 each; while assistant coaches and other team officials got N300,000 each.
Adekoroye Odunayo who won bronze medal in the 2015 World Championship in Las Vegas got N1.2m for her effort while her coaches, Aku Purity and Daniel Igali got N600,000 each.
For D’Tigers that won gold medal in the 2015 Male Afro-Basketball Tournament in Tunisia, the players and the coaches got N600,000 each while team officials got N250,000 each.
The President also announced rewards for the team that won silver medal in the 2015 FIBA Africa U-16 Female Championship in Madagascar, saying the players and coaches will get N400,000 each while team officials will get N150,000 each.
For the 2015 IPC Asian Open International Powerlifting Championship in Almaty-Kazakhstan, the gold medalists were promised N600,000 each; silver medalists and coaches got N450,000 each while team officials got N250,000 each.
Wellington Jighere who won gold medal in the 2015 World English Language Scrabble Championship in Peth-Australia got N1.5m; his Coach, Anthony Ikolo got N1.2m while the Team Secretary, Makano Adamu got N450,000.
Olanrewaju Durodola who won the WBC Cruiser title was also rewarded with N1.5m.
Although the names and pictures of Onye Lauritta who won gold medal in F40 shotput at the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Qatar and those or her Coach, Analto Patrick; and the team secretary, Olabisi Aziz, were included in the event’s brochure, no reward was announced for them.
On the delay in the fulfillment of his promise made to the Under-16 Football Team that won the 1985 FIFA Championship, Buhari said the reason was well known.
While depressing sadness that one of the team players, Aikhionbare died in 1986, he asked for a one-minute silence in the his honour and directed the deceased’s next-of-kin should collect his money on his behalf.
The President said the rewards were not payments or compensations for winning laurels for the country, but a token of appreciation for the sports ambassadors’ efforts and patriotism.
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