Porbeni Urges Tinubu to Reward Nigeria's Youth Olympic Games Gold Medallists

Posted : 13 November 2026

Former Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) head coach, Seigha Porbeni, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reward Nigeria's gold medallists at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games for their outstanding performances.

Porbeni believes the three athletes who secured gold medals in Senegal deserve the same financial recognition recently announced for members of Nigeria's victorious U-17 women's football team, the Flamingos.

President Tinubu had pledged N100 million for each Flamingos player following their historic triumph at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco. The announcement has generated discussions about government recognition of sporting achievements and incentives for young Nigerian athletes.

Speaking to The Guardian, Porbeni said the recognition should also extend to the three Youth Olympic Games champions and their coaches. He argued that their achievements brought significant honour to Nigeria and deserved equal appreciation from the Federal Government.

Nigeria recorded its best-ever performance at the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games, which concluded in Dakar, Senegal, with three gold medals. The competition was particularly significant because it marked the first Olympic sporting event hosted on African soil.

Bright Gift, Rosemary Nwankwo and Praise Ugoh delivered the historic victories for Team Nigeria through outstanding performances in athletics.

Gift became the first Nigerian to win the men's 100m title at the Youth Olympic Games. He clocked 10.28 seconds to claim gold and establish a new Games record.

Nwankwo completed Nigeria's historic sprint double by winning the women's 100m in 11.16 seconds. Her victory also made Nigeria the first country to win both the men's and women's 100m titles at the same edition of the competition.

Ugoh secured Nigeria's third gold medal in the women's 400m, recording a personal best of 52.76 seconds. Her victory made her the first Nigerian to win the event at the Youth Olympic Games.

The three gold medals surpassed Nigeria's previous best performance of two gold medals at the inaugural competition in Singapore in 2010.

Porbeni stressed that excluding the athletics champions from the proposed financial recognition could discourage the athletes after their historic achievements.

He maintained that rewarding the athletes would encourage them to remain committed to their careers and prepare for bigger international competitions.

The former Delta State Director of Sports also highlighted the importance of recognising the coaches who contributed to the athletes' development.

He said the rewards would provide additional motivation as the young athletes begin preparations for future international competitions, including the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Porbeni Urges Tinubu to Reward Nigeria's Youth Olympic Games Gold Medallists

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