Abuja—President Muhammadu Buhari has celebrated the Nigerian athletic team that represented the country in the just concluded 2022 Commonwealth games at Birmingham, England.
The president in a post on his official Facebook page on Tuesday evening described the performance of the team as “glorious exploits,” adding that the team’s successes at the games have brought great pride to the country.
While he said the stellar performances of the athletes who won medals and broke records have brought smiles to the faces of Nigerians, the president noted that the feat is a special parting gift for him since this year’s commonwealth games would be his last as president of Nigeria.
President Buhari equally celebrated the coaches and team officials for what he described as their passion for the development of sports in the country.
He added that history will remember them for their contributions to making Nigeria perform well on the world stage in athletic competitions.
“We are proud of these achievements and the memories will linger with the nation forever. For me this is a special moment and a fitting parting gift, being my last Commonwealth Games as Head of State.
“Let me also celebrate the Coaching Crew and Team Officials for the passion they have demonstrated for the development of Nigerian sports.
“History will remember them for all their contributions to making our athletes shine on the international stage. We are all very grateful,” the president said partly.
The Commonwealth Games which was first held in 1930 is a friendly multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations (an association of 56 nations that are former territories of the British Empire) held every four years.
This year’s competition saw the Nigerian team rack up a total of 35 medals including 12 gold, 9 silver, and 14 bronze medals, finishing 7th in the medal table, and making it one of the best outings of Nigeria in the competition.
