The Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) has denied authoring a congratulatory message purportedly sent to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) after the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar last month.
Nigeria won a bronze medal courtesy long jumper,Ese Brume and a congratulatory letter dated October 7,2019 emerged in the social media,purportedly written by the NOC and signed by its president,Engr Habu Ahmed Gumel hailing the AFN president,Honourable Ibrahim Gusau ‘on the recent performance of the AFN at the just concluded Doha 2019 IAAF World Championships.’’
In a swift reaction,the NOC has vehemently denied congratulating the AFN and disowned the letter in the social media purportedly signed by its president,Gumel.
The Committee revealed the only congratulatory message it sent to the AFN and other sports federations was the one that congratulated the federation(s) on the 10 gold medals (now nine after the IAAF stripped Olatoye Oyesade of her Shot Put medal for not meeting the eligibility conditions) won in the athletics event at the African Games in Rabat,Morocco last August. ‘’The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), as part of the tradition of the Olympic movement and solidarity wrote letters and sent to all federations that participated at the just concluded African Games in Morroco to congratulate and encourage them for their exploit at the Games,’the NOC wrote in a press statement signed by its Public Relations Officer,Phemmy Adetula.