By Solomon Nwoke
SPECIAL Olympics Nigeria (SONigeria) athletes to this year’s Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece have reaffirmed their readiness to do the nation proud at the event as they solicit for more funds to embark on the Games later this month.

Special Olympics, a global event for people with intellectual disabilities holds  in Athens from June 25th to July 4th , 2011.

Nigeria will be represented at the historic event by a 61 member delegation comprising of 43 athletes, 16 coaches/care givers, a head of delegation and an assistant head of delegation, while the athletes would compete in six sporting events , namely;aquatics, athletics, badminton, basketball, table tennis and soccer.

Assuring on their preparedness for the Games, a vocal Athletes’ representative on the board of SONigeria, Witani Musah, said they have prepared well in terms of training and blending in different sports.

She said,“we hope to perform more than we did last year, making the country proud and creating a voice for ourselves despite our disabilities.”

In the same vein, Treasure Chijiofor, an aquatics athlete added that they were ready to go out there and make Nigeria proud by winning lots of medals

Also speaking, Chairman, Board of Director SONigeria, Victor Gbolade Oshibodu said that they have been able to raise the sum of N28 Million out of the N35 Million budgeted for the  Athens project.

He said. “ as you are aware, our approach to funding this project is for organisations and individuals to adopt one or more athletes at the cost of about N750,000. This cost includes kitting, training of the athletes, airfare, etc.
“So far, of the N35 Million required, we have been able to raise the sum of N28 Million.”

“Team Nigeria as a whole cannot wait to clear all the medals at the end of the competitions in Athens. “The athletes, who have worked hard, trained and exhibited amazing determination to get to this level of the competition to showcase their talents, were selected through random draws during the 2010 Special Olympics Nigeria National Games held at the University of Lagos in September (2010).”