AYAC 2013: Nigeria Sports Minister charges athletes on discipline

Nigerian Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdulahi & AFN President, Solomon Ogba / Photo Credit: Segun Ogunfeyitimi

Nigeria's Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Thursday visited the Nigerian youth athletes at their Hotel Excel abode in Warri Delta State and charged them to maintain discipline at the maiden edition of the Africa Youth Athletics Championships (AYAC) 2013.

The Minister thanked the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Solomon Ogba on the initiative to see Nigeria get the hosting right, and harped on the need for the country’s representative to exhibit high level of discipline going into the 4-day championships .

According to the Minister, talent and excellent facilities will count for less if discipline is missing in the aspiring youngsters as he again traced Nigeria’s lacklustre performance at the London Olympics to indiscipline.

“The most critical factor to success in any endeavour not only sports is discipline. God forbid that you will be the generation of Nigerian athletes that will go to the Olympics and not bring a single medal. Hon Abdullahi remarked.

The minister gave instances of top world athletes like Michael Phelps that has excelled in their various fields and the amount of work that had to be done before they became who they were.

According to an article read by the Minister on the multi-Olympic gold winner, the American swimmer has put in four hours of training in every single day for five years including his birthday.

“Talent is no longer enough, sports have gone scientific and the whole world has moved on” The Minister concluded.

Nigeria will be represented by 64 athletes as 26 African counties are already confirmed for the Championships at the Warri Township Stadium. 
 

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