Nigeria’s 462 contingents, including officials to the 12th All African Games will depart for Morocco in two batches on Thursday, August 15.
Mr. Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, assured the athletes that everything had been put in place in terms of welfare and logistics to ensure a good outing for them.
Addressing the athletes in their camp in Abuja on Monday, he urged them to be disciplined and patriotic.
He said this was important in the quest to win medals at the games scheduled to start on Aug. 19 in Rabat.
“You need to be of good discipline and shun any form of doping, if you want to excel at the highest level. As you know, the greatest sports men and women are those that are full of good discipline,” he said.
Adesola urged all the coaches in the 22 sports in which Nigeria would be competing to guide the athletes in line with international best practices.
Seldom Mamdum, captain of Nigeria’s weightlifting team, who responded on behalf of the athletes, promised a good medals haul for Team Nigeria at the Games.
The camps visited by the Permanent Secretary included those of football (male and female), weightlifting, taekwondo, handball, basketball, Karate, Rowing and Shooting.
Team Nigeria finished second in the last edition of the Games in Congo Brazzaville in 2015.
MM/GIK/APA