President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Sani Ndanusa has revealed the committee’s action plan for 2012. “It has been 15 months since the present Nigeria Olympic Committee was elected. As we move into 2012, a new year and an Olympic one, it is appropriate that we review our progress and look to the challenges ahead.
The unveiling of the Olympic Countdown Clock on Victoria Island, Lagos celebrates our 60 years of participating at the Olympic Games and showcases our cultural heritage to the outside world. 2011 was the year we established the Nigerian Court of Arbitration in Sports (NCAS). The Court of Arbitration in Nigeria will end the washing of Nigeria’s dirty linen outside our shores. The troubles in sports administration over the last few years have been well documented. The NCAS will receive petitions from all sports in Nigeria and represents a novel idea that should bring a level of dignity and reason once again to the Nigerian sporting scene. It is important that we comply with all international rules and setting up the NCAS goes a long way towards ensuring this is the case.”
He said the NOC will make sure athletes going to the Olympics are exposed to the best preparations. “As administrators it is our duty to make sure that our sports men and women have the best possible preparation for all their sporting endeavours, but we must remember that this is no guarantee of success. We are aiming high for London 2012 and I can assure Nigerians that this will be the best ever prepared contingent to an Olympic Games. Part of that preparation has been the establishment of a series of partnerships. For example, the Taekwondo team is in South Korea training ahead of the Olympic qualifiers in January. We have been working assiduously with the Korean Embassy in Nigeria to develop the sport of Taekwondo not only in Nigeria but in the West African sub-region. We secured nine London 2012 Olympics scholarships for deserving Nigerian athletes. The scholarships are courtesy of Athletes for Olympic Solidarity and securing them demonstrates our hard work and commitment to ensuring that our athletes get the best, which is what they deserve.”
Ndanusa said when Team Nigeria gets to London they will be based in Surrey for preparations ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. “The facilities at the University of Surrey are truly world class and second to none, a fact emphasised by the nations who also looked to Surrey for their training.”
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