Sports Editors urge government to support Nigerian Paralympians

The Guild of Nigerian Sports Editors yesterday congratulated Team Nigeria’s paralympians who have defied all odds to excel in Rio Paralympics and called on the government to support the special athletes.

As at the last count, Team Nigeria has won seven gold, two silver and one bronze medal to technically better the London 2012 paralympics feat.

In a communiqué signed by the Guild’s President, Tony Ubani, the body described the team’s feat as “remarkable and encouraging in these difficult times, especially when it is considered that they had little or no motivation from those who were supposed to prepare them for the competition.”

It said “It is instructive that when Nigerians are reeling from the effects of the current economic recession ravaging the country, a group of special athletes are in far away Rio de Janeiro, Brazil showing the whole world that we can rise above our adversity to rub shoulders with the best in the world in any endeavour.

“We, therefore, urge the Federal Government, especially the principal officers of the Sports Ministry, to without delay show that Nigeria cares for them.

“We also implore President Muhammadu Buhari to adequately reward these heroes and heroines and ensure Nigeria uses their success story to reawaken the can do spirit of Nigerians in this harsh economic climate.”