Team Nigeria Mixed Relay Gold on the podium
World Athletics U-20 Championships: FG offers cash rewards for medal-winning athletes
With Team Nigeria sitting in third position on the overall medals’ table with 3 gold medals at the ongoing World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, Federal Government has announced various cash rewards for medal winning members of the contingent.
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, Saturday, disclosed cash rewards ranging from $2, 000 to $5, 000 for the athletes who win bronze, silver or gold medals at the championships.
Special Assistant (Multimedia) to the minister, Toyin Ibitoye, who disclosed this in a statement, Saturday, said the cash rewards would see the athletes receiving 5,000 dollars for a gold medal.
”The sum of 3,000 dollars is for a silver medal and 2,000 dollars for a bronze medal.”
He recalled that the minister had pledged to handsomely reward athletes who did well at the championships even before the start of the competition.
At the close of competition for Day 4 of the five-day-old championships in Nairobi, Nigeria had won three gold and two bronze medals.
The medal haul has moved Nigeria to third place on the medals table behind hosts Kenya and Finland.
Nigeria’s 4×400m mixed relay team started the gold rush before Imaobong Uko (women’s 400m) and Udodi Onwuzurike (men’s 200m) won the finals of their events in dominant fashion.
Favour Ofili (women’s 200m) and Chinacherem Nnamdi (men’s javelin) won Team Nigeria’s bronze medals.
There are expectations of more podium finishes for Team Nigeria in the men’s and women’s 4×100m relays and the women’s 4×400m relay on Sunday, the championships’ final day.
This is however the first time athletes to the World Athletics Under-20 Championships would be financially rewarded for their performances.
