By Amos Okioma
Yenagoa
The National President, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Honour Sirawoo, on Wednesday, August 30, 2017, said that his administration inherited N2, 300 only from its coffers in Ilorin July 2016.
Accompanied by top sports officers and Commissioner of Sports, Bayelsa State, Perekiye Buruboyefe, Sirawoo said that his administration was determined to re-position SWAN in the country, while describing sport writers as the promoters of sports.
The SWAN chief spoke in Yenagoa at the end of the six-kilometer road race for practicing journalists in the state.
The SWAN race for practicing journalists kick-started at the INEC junction at 7am and terminated at the state sports complex, Ovom, Yenagoa by 7.45am.
Sarawoo pointed out that administration of sports, participating athletes and the promoters are key to sports development.
The National President said that his desire for SWAN was to make the association vibrant.
Sarawoo called on Bayelsa State government to complete the abandoned Sampson SiaSia sports complex to enable sports lovers to engage and participate meaningfully in sports.
He lauded the state government and its security agencies for encouraging sports in the state, noting that without their assistance the race would have been unsuccessful.
His words: ‘‘Without the members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the six-kilometer race wouldn’t have been massive; without SWAN, thinking we wouldn’t have had it, without NAWOJ coming out, we might not have the numbers of persons we had.’’
He described the race as a collective success for sport writers in the state.
Also the Chairman, SWAN, Bayelsa State, Alambo Datonye, said that the race was geared at repositioning sport writing and create awareness of the body in the state.
Datonye reiterated that the event also was to promote sports development in the state and encourage a healthy living among journalists
Our correspondent reports that over 120 journalists and sports lovers participated in the race.
Highlight of the race was award of prizes to winners of the race both in male and female categories.
