The minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has said that talent hunting programs in the nation have recorded more success in their discovery of talented athletes for the country in recent times during his visitation (House Committee on Sports to the National Stadium and the National Institute of Sports (NISport) represented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, Gabriel Aduda and led by the House Committee delegation and its Chairman, Olumide Osoba, and had three other members —- Rasheed Afolabi, Tunji Olawuyi and Mohammed Bello.
He said, “These new sports talents cut across a wide range of sports, and they include Sekinat, the sensational boxer, Aiden (the Fish) a swimmer, and Ineh Oritsemeyiwa, a diaspora student-athlete in the United States amongst many other notable discoveries.”
In recent times, the ministry has emphasized on sports sector as critical to the country, especially in the face of recent agitations, “the sports sector is indeed very critical for Nigeria, especially in the face of current agitation by the youths for reforms.”
“We also ensured the revival of the Principal’s Cup football competition in the country, the introduction of the Headmasters Cup for Primary Schools in Nigeria for the first time and consisting of five different sports.
“There is also the development of a plan to restore the moribund long-distance races, utilising the advantages of the weather in Pankshin in Plateau and the Mambila plateau in Taraba,” he said.
On his part, the Chairman of the House Committee on Sports said his team’s mission was to see to its oversight function adding that sports could take a vital role in the rule of engagement of the youths.
“We are here as part of our oversight function to see how we can help sports to grow in Nigeria.
“The executive has its own role to execute the plan, but in between that we want to see if funds had been well appropriated as we all know the role of sports in the society, and that is why the youths cannot be taken for granted again, if we have learned from what happened recently.”
