President, Paralympics Committee Nigeria (PCN) Sunday Odebode has predicted a better and brighter future for para-athletes this year.
Nigeria will participate in the forthcoming Paralympics Games in Paris, France.
Odebode in his New Year message to Nigeria para-athletes said that the Committee is doing all within its capabilities to ensure that the athletes make it to the podium at the Games and other international meets this year.
It would be recalled that some athletes from the para table tennis federation have already qualified for the games and athletics.
Already the para table tennis division has qualified nine athletes for the Paris 2024 Paralympic games and hopes to qualify more with the qualification windows that will be open in the first quarter of this year.
The qualification for para powerlifting and para-badminton based on ranking is still ongoing. We are confident that the eight athletes on the pathway will be able to pick up their tickets at the end of their qualifiers, which will end in June.
The sport of para-badminton is also doing everything possible to qualify for the Paralympic games in Paris as most of the top athletes have attended the mandatory three international tournaments as specified by Badminton World Federation BWF
He also disclosed that the athletes are preparing very well to make the country proud at the All Africa Games slated for Accra Ghana in March and other international meets.
The PCN boss who commended the Minister of Sports for his vision and aspirations to take sports to the highest level informed that para-athletes will qualify for more events for Paris 2024 and expressed optimism that the athletes will record more medals at the Games than in previous editions.
“We are fully prepared for the Games, and I am optimistic that Nigeria will perform better at the Games than the previous ones and we shall do well this year at various sporting meets and at the All Africa Games”, he said.
