Some board members of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) will not be in Tokyo to cheer the athletes when hostilities begin at the Olympics Games due to restrictions by the host country.

Amid stern warning to the athletes to steer clear of performance-enhancing substances, Youth and Sports Development Minister, Sunday Dare, bid farewell to the first batch of Team Nigeria’s contingent to the Olympic Games. The minister told the athletes yesterday to ensure decent representation of the country at the Games.

President of the AFN, Tonobok Okowa, told The Guardian yesterday that the stiff restriction by the Japanese government has made it impossible for some board members to be part of the Games.

“As you are aware, the AFN camp for the Tokyo Olympics Games opened on Sunday in Abuja. I am leaving Asaba now for Abuja. Hopefully, I may depart for Tokyo on July 26, but we have to cut down the number of our board members for the Games due to the restriction. I would have loved so many of us to be there to cheer the athletes, but there is nothing one can do about it.

“I will be in Abuja to perfect our preparation for the African Junior Championships in Kenya, which will hold soon after the Olympics.”

Among the first batch of Team Nigeria contingent that left yesterday aboard Air Ethiopia were Canoe Sprinter, Ayomide Bello and her coach, Ebenezer Ukwunna, Esther Toko, who will feature in Rowing and technical officials, as well as the medical team.

“I enjoin you to make the nation proud at the Games by competing clean and bringing glory to your fatherland,” Dare declared shortly before the athletes and accompanying officials departed yesterday.

The minister, who said the athletes would travel to Kizarazu City in Japan for a pre-Games training camp before moving into the Games Village, told the athletes that the circumstances leading to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were unusual in many respects, occasioned chiefly by a pandemic that has ravaged the entire human race. He added that their departure for the Games was evidence that “working in unison, we can collectively, achieve whatever we set our minds to achieve as humans.

“All the athletes and officials that would feature at the Games have been educated on COVID-19 compliant and given anti-doping instructions. I urge you all to adhere to these rules to compete safely and avoid the discomfort of COVID-19 isolation.”

The minister also revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari, in continuation of his support to the sports sector, has committed enormous resources in the preparation and participation of Team Nigeria in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“As part of this effort, Mr. President would formally unveil the official Team Nigeria uniform for the Games during the presentation of the contingent to His Excellency,” Dare added.

The Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunga Kazuyoshi, in his remarks at the send forth of the first batch of Team Nigeria contingent, said the presence of the Nigerian athletes at the Games would narrow the distance between the peoples of both countries.

“The travel distance between Nigeria and Japan is extremely far. But because of the presence of Nigeria’s athletes in Japan, our people who have not travelled to Nigeria before can easily go to the venues where the Nigerian athletes are participating and see the people from the giant of Africa.

“It was in Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964 that Najeem Maiyegun won a bronze medal in the boxing event. And this time, I wish Nigerian athletes to win as many medals at the Tokyo Japan 2020 Olympic Games,” Matsunga Kazuronshi said.