IOC PRESIDENT ARRIVES NIGERIA TO COMMISSION ANOCA SECRETARIAT

Olayinka Elebute, Oluwole Francis

International Olympic Committee IOC President, Thomas Bach is expected in Nigeria on Monday for the official commissioning of the Association of National Olympic committees of Africa.

The ceremony is billed for ANOCA headquarters on November 14 and the IOC President will after this visit the Villa to see the President Mohammadu Buhari and thereafter take a tour of the Moshood Kashimawo Abiola Stadium to see the country’s sporting facilities.

Disclosing this, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare said the visit is a clear sign that Nigeria is well respected in the international sports circle.

He said the ANOCA headquarters was moved to Nigeria from Cameroon in 2006 and he was glad that the government has put up a befitting secretariat.

Dare said if the IOC President had visited Nigeria before now, the country would not have lost the bid to host the 2022 World Youth Olympics to Senegal but pledged that the hosting right will be supported because it came to Africa for the first time.

He said Nigeria will continue to commend the IOC for creating the platform for training her coaches, administrators and athletes.

Also speaking on the visit, the President of Nigeria Olympic Committee NOC, Engineer, Habu Gumel said Nigeria stands to benefit from the visit.

Gumel gave some of the benefits as the scholarships and training grants to be enjoyed by the Team Nigeria athletes, the rapport with the leaders and the showcase of the country’s facilities which will enhance the chances of being picked as host of one of the IOC programmes.

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