President Muhammadu Buhari has wished Nigerian athletes participating in the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games a successful outing.
The President expressed the hope that Nigerian athletes taking part in different events will excel at the competition, surpassing the previous record in PyeongChang, South Korea, in 2018, when the nation competed for the first time.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Femi Adesina, the Nigerian leader said it was his sincere hope that all athletes, in the pursuit of their Olympic dream, would promote the core values of the Games: excellence, friendship and respect, recognising that the Olympic Games is a platform for closer friendship and cooperation between countries.
President Buhari also congratulated the government and citizens of the People’s Republic of China on their hosting the Winter Olympics.
He applauded the city of Beijing for making history as the first “dual Olympic city” in the history of the Games , having hosted the Summer Olympics in 2008.
Describing China as a friendly and brotherly country to Nigeria, the President affirmed the support of the government and people of Nigeria for their giant Asian counterpart.
Given China’s rich experience in organising international events, the President said, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, with the slogan “Together for a Shared Future”, would be delivered as a splendid, exceptional and extraordinary Olympic event for the world.
Editing by Omotola Oguneye and Tony Okerafor