You are here: HomeNews2021 08 04Article 463060

Sports News of Wednesday, 4 August 2021

Source: punchng.com

Dare vows to pay Oborududu’s surgery bills

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has promised to pay for the knee surgery of silver medallist Blessing Oborududu, The PUNCH reports.

Dare made this known in a statement from his media office on Tuesday after Oborududu made history winning silver in the final of the women’s freestyle 68kg  – Nigeria’s first wrestling medal ever.

Oborududu had been nursing the injury prior to the Olympics, according to Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Nigerian Wrestling Federation, Daniel Igali.

The 32-year-old lost 4-1 USA’s Tamyra Mensah-Stock in the final on Tuesday, to settle for silver.

“The Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare has assured that the knee will be fixed in any country of her choice when she gets back to Nigeria and settles down,” Igali was quoted as saying in the statement.

According to Igali, Oborududu did her best at the Games.

“She did her best. We have been treating that tender knee all through the tournament. Surprised she was able to take a full double attack.”

Oborududu had earlier defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanazarova 3-2 in the quarter-finals, after seeing off Azerbaijan’s Elis Manolova in the Round of 16 with the injury.

Meanwhile, following the decision of the Federal Government to triple the prize money award for Team Nigeria medallists at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics, silver medallist Blessing Oborodudu will get $10,000 while Ese Brume will be handed a cash reward of $7,500.

In a statement, which was made available to The PUNCH, Director, Federation and Elite Athletes Department, of the Youth and Sports Development Ministry, Dr Simon Ebohdjaiye, said, “The gesture is to drive home the point that the Federal Government rewards superlative efforts.

“Gold medallists will now be rewarded with $15,000, while silver and bronze medal winners will each get $10,000 and $7,500 respectively. The earlier award is $5,000 for gold, $3,000 for silver and $2,000 for bronze.”