BY JUDE OPARA, Abuja

It was all smiles and glamour yesterday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja as President Mohammadu Buhari rewarded members of the victorious national U-17 team who won the FIFA World Cup in Chile last year and the Class of 1985 who won the first edition of the cadet championship in China.

Each of the players from the Chile 2015 set got the sum of N1.2 million naira, while Chief Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke was given N900,000. His assistants got N600,000 each.

The 1985 class were given N2 million naira each while the coaches got N1.5 million naira each.
Before now successive governments in the country had failed to honour the team despite the promise of then Head of State, General Buhari who had promised to host them before his exit from office.

The Samson Siasia tutored national U-23 team who won the African U-23 Nations Cup last year were each blessed with just N500,000.
President Buhari also rewarded members of the national basketball team, D’ Tigers who against all odds won the Afro Basketball championship in Tunisia. They got N600,000 each.

Another set of Nigerians, members of the silver winning FIBA U-16 Women Championship in Madagascar were not left out of the national appreciation. They were given N400,000 each.

Interestingly, Willington Jighere, champion of the World English Language Scrabble Championship in Australia as well as Olarenwaju Durodola who won the WBC Cruiser Weight Title. Willington got N1.5 million naira while his coach was given N1.2 million.

The President did not forget the contingent to the 2015 IPC Asian Open International Powerlifting Championship in Kazakhstan. Each gold winner got N600,000 while silver attracted N450,000.

Bronze medalists at the 2015 World Wrestling championship are now richer by N1.2 million while their coaches had N600,000.
Addressing the crowd President Buhari said it gladdened his heart to play host to the victorious athletes and officials who have consistently done the nation proud at various international competitions.

“Nigerian athletes, despite prevailing challenges, have always proven to the rest of the world that the Nigerian spirit is indomitable.

“On behalf of all Nigerians, I wish to specially express my appreciation and indeed that of the nation to our athletes and officials for the consistency, determination, willpower and penchant for success being witnessed in the sports sector in recent times. I urge the managers of this sector to keep up the momentum.”

While promising to ensure that Nigerian athletes get their due ahead of championships the President said; “I am particularly concerned about our participation at the forthcoming Rio 2016 Olympic Games. We must not allow a repetition of the unsavoury experience at the London 2012 Olympics where Nigerian athletes failed to make it to the podium.”

Buhari while expressing his delight in rewarding the 1985 class, 30 years after, regretted that one of the players, Kingsley Aikhionbare died and subsequently directed that his reward be given to his next of kin