By Judith Nwabia
Former Director-General of National Sports Commission, Amos Adamu, has given a pat on the back to the Amaju Pinnick-led board of the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) for the bronze medal won by the Dream Team at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Adamu noted that the NFF took a vital decision in sending the Dream Team to Atlanta, USA for intensive pre-Olympics camping.
In Adamu’s words: “Even when sports minister, Solomon Dalung, denied the presence of the team in Atlanta, the NFF continued with the camping exercise. It was this persistence that eventually earned Team Nigeria the only medal at the Rio Olympics. The truth of the matter is that, if Amaju had waited like the other sports federation presidents for the Sports Ministry’s funds which came just two weeks to the Rio Games, to commence serious camping for the Games, the Dream Team wouldn’t have been well prepared to win bronze.”
Continuing, Adamu said: “It is imperative that the NFF should stand firm and take the glory of helping Nigeria not to return empty handed from the Rio Olympics as was the case at the London 2012 Games. As little as the bronze medal looks, it is better than nothing. I want to commend the leadership of the NFF for its visionary decision. The feat will also help the career of the players and officials who are today proud winners of an Olympic medal. I am in sports and I know how difficult it is to win a medal at the Olympics.”
The former FIFA and CAF Executive Committee member also denied report attributed to him, where he was quoted to have said that the Eagles is doomed following the employment of Gernot Rohr as Technical Adviser of the national team.
“Why on earth would I say the Super Eagles is doomed, I never said that. In the interview I granted a reporter who asked me my opinion about the new Eagles Technical Adviser, I said that the coach is not well known to me and it will be difficult to say anything about his capabilities. I made it clear that it is my policy not to differentiate between a foreign or indigenous coach, the most important thing is for whoever is employed as Eagles coach to perform.”