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Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has assured that athletes representing Nigeria at the Rio 2016 Olympic games will not “leave Rio without winning medals”.
Tony Ubani, press officer of Team Nigeria, said that the minister said this shortly after Union Bank Nigeria PLC redeemed its N30 million pledge to support the team.
Nigeria is yet to win a medal in the games.
Ubani said that Yinka Kadejoh, the events and sports officer of the bank, presented ATM cards loaded with N250,000 to each of the athletes.
He said that they could use the cards anywhere in the world.
At the ceremony were Habu Gumel, the NOC President; Sani Ndanusa, a former president of NOC; and Adolphus Joe Ekpe, director-general, National Lottery Regulatory Commission. The event took place at the secretariat of Team Nigeria within the Games village.
In her response on behalf of the team, Funke Oshonaike, vice-captain of Team Nigeria, thanked the bank for having ‘a heart of gold’ and remembering the athletes.
She also urged other corporate organisations to emulate the bank’s gesture.
Heavyweight boxer, Efe Ajagba, thanked the bank for the kind gesture.