As with previous games, Nigeria's preparations have been haphazard for the Brazil games and there are fears that Team Nigeria is set for another woeful outing. However, Mr Dalung assured Nigerians that this time around the contingent will not have as bad an outing as it did in the 2012 London games when Team Nigeria returned without winning any medals.
While some Nigerian sports buffs have decried the slow pace of preparations of athletes that will be representing the country at the Games, others have predicted that the Rio Olympics will be worse than the London 2012 Games. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Nigeria won one silver medal and three bronze medals
Mr Dalung said: "There is no need to panic over the expected performance of Nigerian athletes as we are doing our best to ensure Nigeria performs well. Our target is to win 10 medals in Rio."
He said the traditional ceremony to send Team Nigeria off to Rio Olympics will hold on July 19 at the Banquet Hall of the State House. At the event, President Muhammadu Buhari will charge the athletes to go and compete for medals.
Meanwhile, the head coach of Nigeria’s U-23 team, Samson Siasia, has decided on Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi and South Africa-based goalkeeper, Daniel Akpeyi, as his over-aged players for this year’s Olympic Games. One Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) official said that Siasia will be going to Rio with only two over-aged players, Mikel and Akpeyi.
Turkey-based defender, Godfrey Oboabona and Watford striker, Odion Ighalo, were the other over-aged players who made the provisional 35-man squad. However, only Mikel Obi and Akpeyi, have made the final 18-man list that Siasia submitted to the NFF this week and the team is currently in Atlanta, preparing for the competition next month.
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