Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has commended the effort of the country’s contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games despite the team failing to return home with a single medal at the end of the competitions.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngalale, on Monday, the President highlighted the exploits of the Nigeria women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, and their coach, Ms. Rena Wakama, for their historic feat at the Olympics.
President Tinubu praised D’Tigress’s performance which saw them become the first African basketball team – female or male – to win multiple matches at one edition of the Olympics and reach the quarter-finals at the Games.
He also congratulated Coach Wakama on her recognition as the best coach of women’s basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Tinubu also went on to commend the entire Nigerian contingent at the event.
“President Tinubu affirms that winning trophies and medals is the ultimate goal in competitive sports, but nothing trumps the place of good sportsmanship, discipline, and sacrifice shown by all those who held the Nigerian flag at the Olympic Games,” Tinubu said in the statement.
“The President thanks the Nigerian contingent and wishes them success in their respective endeavours,” the statement said. Tinubu’s statement comes after Nigeria’s Sports Minister, John Owan Enoh, apologised for the team’s failure to meet expectations.
“I must apologise to our compatriots and reflect on what went wrong while looking forward to the Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 (August 28- September 8th),” the Minister had said.