By Uzor Odigbo
A workshop attended by AthIetics Stakeholders converged for solutions to funding and unlimited growth of Sports in Nigeria
The gathering featured personalities and ex-internationals such as Edo State Sports Commission Chairman Yusuf Ali, Falilat Ogunkoya, Rotimi Obajimi, representatives from National Sports Commission, National Institute of Sports (NIS) and many more.
AthIetics/Sports funding in the era of National Sports Commission was the theme for the workshop.
Speaking to a capacity audience at the Sheraton hotel venue of the workshop Yusuf Ali who delivered the keynote address said in sports administration funding is key and without it, nothing can be done.
“Sports places demands on everything, money, time, facilities, training, etc, and to achieve the above, you need real funding.”
According to him, Nigeria as a country has produced many sportsmen and women, coaches etc from both home and abroad all these cost money.
“That’s why money is too important to our sports. Travelling, logistics and facilities take some chunk of money, administratively one can’t run sports institution without funds, else you get frustrated and the dream of sports development will die either as an individual or as a country.”
Ali alluded to the fact that sports funding should be a shared commitment and responsibility between government and the private corporate sector, adding that most growing sports today are funded by the private sector.
In a goodwill message, the AthIetics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Performance director Victor Okorie based in United States of America and was represented by a trustee reminded audience of the need to imortalise Sports icons, whether they were coaches, athIetes, administrators or stakeholders in sport for services they rendered while alive.
The AFN board member said Coach Tobias Igwe (Toblow ) who he described as mentor need to be immortalised through competitions and he promised to sponsor Tobias Igwe memorial competition in 2025 anywhere in Nigeria which drew a loud applause.
Dignitaries hailed the emergence of the NSC and hope that it would go far in providing solutions to dwindling fortunes of Sports in Nigeria
