By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Adoption initiative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development yielded even more fruits on Wednesday as three commercial banks donated $200,000 (N100 million) to jointly adopt the National Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams, D’Tigers and D’Tigress, who are both on their way to the Tokyo Olympics.
The Ministry noted that Zenith, Access and Guarantee Trust (GT) banks responded in a timely fashion to the appeal by the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare for corporate organizations to adopt the national teams.
According to a press statement signed by John Joshua Akanji, Media Aide to the Sports Minister, D’Tigers got $100,000 while D’Tigress also got $100,000 as support to prosecute their participation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics which will start in Japan next week.
The Ministry expressed its appreciation to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, who was central to the process leading to the adoption. It noted that the CBN governor’s earlier support to the revitalization of the Principals Cup this year.
The Ministry further thanked the Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Mr. Ebenezer N. Onyeagwu, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, Managing Director/CEO of GT Bank, Mr. Segun Agbaje and their financial institutions for adopting the national basketball teams.
While assuring that there is still room for other corporate organizations to adopt Olympic bound athletes and teams, the Ministry expressed confidence that the financial support has further brightened Nigeria’s chances at clinching gold in basketball.
