Dare insists on national Olympic trials as Nigerian athletes land in USA

SPORTS minister Sunday Dare has warned track and field athletes that they have to participate in the national trials to make the Nigerian team to the Tokyo Olympics.

He insisted that the country can only assemble the best athletes in an open national trial where there will be equal opportunity to qualify for the Olympics scheduled for July and August.

“Don’t forget that we will have the national trials in June and everybody, both home-based and foreign-based, must show up. If you don’t show up, you will not make the Nigerian team to the Olympics,” Dare told the ministry’s media team.

He described the national trials as an important avenue to determine the best of Nigerian athletes to be selected for international meets.

“National trials are very important and any athlete that does not come will not make Team Nigeria, that is how important the national trials are,” he added.

“It is almost the second to the final point where we select our final list of athletes and after that it is the African Championship in Algiers.

Even before I became the minister, the national trials played an important role in the selection of our team and every athlete knows that.

“Nigeria will be at the Olympics, God willing, and I’m confident that the athletes will put in their very best and make Nigeria proud.”

Meanwhile, 16 Nigerian athletes and technical officials arrived in Texas, the United States of America on Friday to camp and take part in qualifying competitions for the Olympics, especially the relay events.

The trip to the US had stirred up controversy as
it prevented Nigeria from participating in the World Athletics Relays in Poland last week, where the country could have earned Olympics slots in the relays.

The athletes will have a training camp and also attend competitions during their three-week stay in America.