2016 Rio Olympics: Paralympians yet to be celebrated –coach

Patrick Anaeto, National Coach of Para-athletics Federation of Nigeria, on Tuesday said the contingent that represented the country at the Rio 2016 Paralympics had yet to be celebrated.

Anaeto, who led the para-athletics team to the Games, told our reporter in Abuja that in spite of the world records broken at the event, the athletes had yet to be rewarded.

“It is demoralising when you go to a competition and come out with medals and even break world records and nobody appreciates you.

“In other countries, you see how well they treat their athletes.

“All we read on the internet is that the government has rewarded the athletes with gifts and so on, but we have not seen anything,’’ he said.

The coach also said the he was not blaming the government alone but the entire country.

“If it were the able-bodied, before their return from the Games, corporate organisations, individuals and the government would have been showering them with praises, gifts and so on.

“Well, it is quite a pity that we have found ourselves in this situation.

“Everyone feels that if you give a physically challenged N10, he should forever be grateful to you, forgetting that many of us have families who depend on us,’’ he added.

It was reported that Team Nigeria to the Games participated in athletics, powerlifing and table tennis, setting six new world records in the process.

Nigeria won a total of 12 medals, including eight gold, two silver, two bronze to place 17th on the overall medals table.

China won a total of 239 medals to emerge overall best followed by Great Britain with 147 medals, Ukraine 117 and the U.S. 115.