…as Dikko inaugurates elite athletes devt, podium board
Ben Ogbemudia, Abuja
Chief Sunday Dare, former Minister of Sports and now Special Advisor on Communication and Strategy to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday, praised the President for his special interest in sports.
Dare spoke at the inauguration of Elite Athletes Development and Podium Board at the MKO National stadium, Abuja.
He said President Bola Tinubu is in tune with 21st century sports development.
The S. A. On Communication said the President understands the importance of sports to youth development, hence the impact of sports politics and business”.
He therefore praised the NSC for the idea of creating the board which he said would ensure that the Nigerian athletes make podium appearance at international championships.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade explained that the board was carefully created to achieve the aim of having athletes make podium appearance.
Olopade said the terms of reference of the board include; identifying the priority sports where the country has comparative advantage, to conduct feasibility studies of high performance, determine adequate incentives that would be given to the athletes as well as to source for funds from the private sector, amongst others.
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko on his own assured that the old practice where athletes struggled to get their training allowances and other entitlements was over.
Dikko said President Bola Tinubu has given the NSC, the necessary support needed to adequately support the nation’s athletes while preparing for international championships.
He also revealed that to achieve the ambition of having the best out of the athletes, the NSC under his administration has created different channels of budgeting for the different subheads.
According to him, the NSC has created the budget line for Olympic preparation, budget line for the Commonwealth Games preparation as well as budget for other engagements including; grassroots sports and elite sports, school sports, special budget for ex-internationals and even a budget for the running of the board so inaugurated.
Dikko who was confident of the performance of the board said he strongly believes that with the resolve of the present administration to effectively fund sports adequately, the private sector will equally be eager to support the sector.
He said; “We are very convinced that the present administration under President Bola Tinubu is well intentioned in the support of the sports sector. Therefore, there is no doubt in my mind that if the government does what is expected of it, the private sector will equally be very eager to support sports in the country”.
The Elite Athletes Development and Podium Board is headed by a former Olympian, Yusuf Ali.
