VICE PRESIDENT YEMI OSINBAJO RECEIVES COMMONWEALTH BATON AS NIGERIAN ATHLETES PREPARE FOR THE GAMES IN BIRMINGHAM
The commonwealth games is set to take place in Birmingham next year July as Nigerian athletes prepare for the games
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has received the Queen’s Baton for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Along with sports minister Sunday Dare, Osinbajo welcomed the baton at the State House on Saturday, on behalf of President Buhari.
Habu Gumel, President, Commonwealth Games Nigeria, received the baton at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and handed it to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, who presented it to Osinbajo.
Osinbajo reminded the Commonwealth of its strong bond of brotherhood. “This is a much loved tradition which precedes every Commonwealth Games; a baton carrying Her Majesty’s message of goodwill to the Commonwealth goes on a 90,000 mile, 72 country journey to end at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“As the relay goes from one Commonwealth member country to another, in its journey across several continents, the two billion strong population of the Commonwealth are reminded of the strong bonds of brotherhood and friendship that bind us, across these continents, nations, races, tongues and faiths.
“This joyful event will end at this time in Birmingham, the city that will host the games in 2022. “Nigerian athletes will join their brothers and sisters at the games, as we have done at several occasions of the games since we first attended in 1950, when Joshua Majekodumi won our first medal, in the high jump event;
”Since then, our athletes have won no less than 236 medals at the games! We are set to do much better in Birmingham,’’ he said.
Osinbajo commended the relay team for their cheerfulness and dedication to the tour covering thousands of miles, and the organising committees for all their hard work in seamlessly delivering the relay event.
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