The Para-Olympics Committee of Nigeria (PCN) has attributed Team Nigeria’s impressive performance at the just-concluded Para Grand Prix in Tunisia to the strategic and consistent support from the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Speaking on the outstanding performance, PCN President, Sunday Odebode, expressed joy as Nigeria emerged second overall out of 42 participating countries.
He emphasized that the level of support para-sports now receive from the NSC has been transformative.
“The NSC under the leadership of the Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, has taken the support given to people living with disabilities to another level,” Odebode stated.
“We have never had it this good in the past where the Commission is not only supporting us financially but also assisting us in every technical way to succeed, both in international and domestic competitions.”
Team Nigeria ended the tournament with an impressive total of 19 medals: 10 gold, 6 silver, and 3 bronze.
According to Odebode, this result is a reflection of the athletes’ dedication and the Commission’s deliberate investment in para-sports.
He added that Nigeria’s performance in Tunisia has earned the country qualification for the World Championship in India later this year and secured several spots for the Commonwealth Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“The Commission has also made our various programs very easy to execute because of the attention and funding we are currently getting from them,” he added. “The Para-lifters just concluded their trials where we discovered 10 new athletes. These athletes will now represent Nigeria at the World Tournament in Santiago, Chile.”
Furthermore, he noted that para-athletes and para-swimmers are scheduled to begin camping this month in preparation for international engagements, while wheelchair basketball teams are ramping up preparations for the Commonwealth Games.
Odebode praised the NSC’s smooth and timely funding, describing it as a “new era” in the country’s approach to supporting athletes with disabilities. He reiterated the committee’s commitment to building on the current momentum to achieve podium finishes at global events in the years ahead.
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