President Goodluck
Jonathan is to host
the Nigerian delegation
to the paralympic
games as well as
members of the
Falconet in
appreciation of their
sterling performance.
The Nigerian
paralympians Tuesday
night rejected the
National Institute for
Sports hostel
accommodation
reserved for them
after they touched
down in Lagos from
their triumphant run at
the London 2012
Paralympics Games.
Minister of Information,
Labaran Maku, told
state House
correspondents that
the superlative
performance of
members of the Team
Nigeria Special athletes
at the just concluded
Paralympic Games in
London “have wiped
away our tears”.
According to him, the
Paraolympians and the
Falconets performance
at the just concluded
FIFA Women U-20
Championship in Japan
was brilliant, and the
planned reception this
saturday is to send a
clear message that all
athletes are important.
“They (Paraolympians)
have wiped away our
tears. The message
they have sent is that
we need a greater
passion in what we do.
Their performance
confirms that every
citizen is important.
The reception will send
a clear message that
all is important”, he
noted.
On the Falconets, the
Minister described the
performance of the
female junior team that
came third as
“ventilating”, adding
that “they showed a
lot of talents and
defeated very great
football nations.
“They have
demonstrated that
when women are
asking for 35 per cent
they mean it. It is a
clear indication what
women can do better
where men have
failed”.
At the London Games,
the Nigerian special
athletes won a total
of 13 medals; six gold,
five silver and two
bronze medals. The
performance lifted the
dampen spirit of
Nigerians when the
able bodied athletes
could not win a single
medal at the main
London Games London.

Hisses, Sighs as
Paralympians reject
NSC’s
accommodation
However Nigerian
paralympians Tuesday
night rejected the
National Institute for
Sports hostel
accommodation
reserved for them
after they touched
down in Lagos from
their triumphant run at
the London 2012
Paralympics Games.
Some of the athletes
spoken to submitted
that the NIS hostel did
not match their status
as paralympics heroes.
The athletes were
treated to a mini
reception at the
National Stadium Lagos.
And they were
shepherded into the
NIS hostels by the
National Sports
Commission Liaison
officer in Lagos, Mrs.
Tayo Oreweme, but
one by one they
sneaked out of the
premises preferring to
lodge in comfortable
hotels on their own,
while those who have
homes in Lagos went
to their abodes.
“We felt that they
will be secured at the
NIS after a reception
was held for them at
the National Stadium.
I’m aware that some
of them went home,
but I cannot say if
they protested against
what was offered to
them,” said
Secretary-general of
the Nigeria Paralympics
Committee, Dr. Frank
Thorpe.
www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/president-jonathan-to-host-paralympians-falconets/