The disparity in the outfits of Team Nigeria was a result of the shady deal the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) had with ‘Active Black’ without the consent of the Ministry, the Federal Ministry of Sports Development has said.
A top official of the Ministry, who spoke with Persecondnews correspondent in Paris on the condition of anonymity on Monday, said: “The Ministry has no deal with Active Black. The NOC is trying to ambush the ministry with the questionable kit deal.
“The traditional attire of Team Nigeria at the opening ceremony was solely sponsored by the Ministry. Anything the NOC is doing is to compliment the effort of the Ministry.
“But what the NOC is doing is to sabotage the efforts of the Sports Minister, Sen. John Enoh, and the Ministry.
“The NOC is like an NGO and has no right to sign a deal without getting clarification from us. Our aim in Paris is to have a kit that will represent the unity of our country and showcase the beautiful traditions of Nigeria through our outfit.
“There was no bag, towel, or even shoes in the deal the NOC brokered with Active Black. What is more shocking is that the deal didn’t cover our Paralympics team or officials, which is not right, but the Ministry already provided kits that will cover both the Olympics and Paralympics.”
The official added:”No letter was written to us about the deal or what was contained in the deal that was signed by NOC. What is more shocking is that they claim the kit was manufactured in the US, whereas our findings revealed it was done in Lagos.
“The colour of the kit manufactured by Active Black doesn’t represent the official colours of our beloved country, which is a red flag.”
According to Persecondnews, as the sun went down, the City of Light shone through the raindrops on a cold Friday night in a three-and-a-half hour show, leading to perhaps the most drenched opening ceremony in the history of the modern Olympics.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the banks of the River Seine, clad in ponchos and rain jackets, and at the first hint of raindrops, a canopy of umbrellas sprouted up.
But after about an hour of the wet stuff coming down in earnest, it was clear some of the crowd had had enough.
In the grandstands at the end of the Parade of Nations, exposed onlookers raced for the comfort of hospitality tents and other nearby covered areas, while cameras caught the occasional thinning of the crowd along the riverside.
Céline Dion closed out the night by singing “L’Hymne à l’amour” from the base of the Eiffel Tower.
It was her first performance since announcing her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome in 2022.
Lady Gaga also performed earlier in the opening ceremony.
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