Super Eagles captain and Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi has insisted that he will definitely stay at Stamford Bridge for the 2016-17 English Premier League season.
The 29-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move from the Blues this summer following the arrival of new manager Antonio Conte, he insists he will not be leaving even as his contract at the club will run out in 2017.
“I am definitely staying at Chelsea and I will try to give my best to the club, like I have always done,” Mikel said.
“I want to help the team fight for every point, win and trophies. I also want to help the team qualify for the Champions League again.
“For 10 years I have been going to the same training ground and locker room. It is an amazing club, with an amazing owner.
“I have a year left and then we will see what happens. If I play well this season, it will help me earn a new contract.
“I will give 120 per cent every time I’m on the pitch or come off the bench. I will always give my best.
“If Chelsea wants to talk, we’ll talk. If I have to move on there will be plenty of clubs out there where I can continue.
“It will be but these things happen. You have to move on one day. My happy memories of Chelsea will never go away.”
Mikel, who will miss the start of the new Premier League season, is hoping to make his first Olympic appearance at the 2016 Olympics men’s football event after being selected as one of the Nigeria’s two designated over-23 players.
“I explained to the club why I wanted to go [to the Olympics] and I thank them for their understanding,” he said.
“The coach also gave me his blessing. He told me to make sure I do well and bring back the gold medal!
“Obviously, it is hard to be away because I want to impress the new coach. It’s a risk I have taken but I stand by that.
“Chelsea are like a family to me. It is a place that has become a part of me,” he concluded.
Paralympic Games: Team Nigeria Receive Free Ceremonial Wears
The Ministry of Youth and Sports today received free ceremonial apparels for athletes taking part in the Paralympic Games.
On the occasion, the donor of the apparels Safiya Asabe Bashir, a business woman said she was moved to donate the items when she heard that there was no money to pay for the supplies.
“I heard the call during the news for corporate organizations to donate towards the Olympics so I decided to contribute my own quota by sewing 50 pieces of embroidered blouses and long skirts with kaftans and caps. I feel happy but I didn’t expect it to be a big event like this. It’s just our own Corporate Social Responsibility. We have been doing it in one way or the other but we didn’t expect that this will help the Ministry or that we will get this kind of media coverage” Sefiya Bashir said.
Receiving the items, the Director Federation of Elite Athletes Department (FEAD) Hauwa Kulu- Akinyemi thanked the donor and called on other individuals and corporate companies to
invest in partnerships which will take sports to greater heights.
Mrs Akinyemi charged the athletes to work hard to bring glory to the country as many Nigerians were looking up to them for medals during the games.
The Paralympic Games will hold from September 7 to 18, 2016 and Nigeria would be taking part in Para-athletics and power-lifting.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Get more stories like this on our twitter @Abdul_Ent and facebook page @abdulkukublogspot