Sports

FCT Area Council Sports Officers Laud Handball Chairman Remodeling Of Handball Court, Establishment Of Supporters Club

Published

3 years ago

April 10, 2022

The Federal Capital Territory Area Council Sports Officers have lauded the pragmatic initiatives of the FCT Handball Association in remodeling the FCT Handball Court at Area 10.

The Sports Officers who stated this during a parley with the board of the FCT Handball Association on April 5, commended the Chairman of the board, Ambassador Edward Olutoke for his visionery leadership.

The Sports Officers from Kwali, Kuje, Bwari, Gwagwalada and AMAC Councils expressed hope that the current board will turn around the fortune of handball in the FCT

In his speech, Bwari Area Council Sports Officer Egbunu Jacob said the parley was timely and fruitful.

“I want to thank the Chairman and the board for this great union today. We have seen your laudable tracks within few months in office. Remodeling of the FCT Handball Court is highly commendable. I have not doubt that this board is the best thin that have happened to FCT Handball,” said.

On his part, the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC Sports Officer, Mr Peter Samson praised the board for their pragmatic initiatives as well as launching of Supporters Club, which he said was the first in the sport

“This gathering today is a manifestation of the pragmatic leadership in the board championed by the able Chairman, Ambassador Edward Olutoke.

“Few months in office, you singlehandedly remodeled the FCT Handball Court and also launched the FCT Handball Supporters Club. The first of its kind in the sport,” he stated.

They however presented their various challenges in the development and promotion of handball in their areas to include lack of fund, lack of space for training and lack of sponsorship to host competitions

Responding on behalf of the FCT Handball Association Board, the Chairman, Ambassador Edward Olutoke thanked the Sports Officers for honouring the invitation stressing that the meeting was a productive one.

“I want to thank all of you for honouring this invitation. I appreciate this respect you accorded us. We also appreciate your commendation. You have encouraged us to do more, and that is what we will do,” he said.

On the challenges facing handball at the various Area Councils, Ambassador Olutoke promised that the board will work in synergy with the Sports Officers for the development of handball in the hinterland.

“The problems you mentioned are obvious. We are not going to leave you behind. We will work in synergy for the development of handball across the FCT.

“We will support you to develop the handball sport in your area. We encourage you to also do your best, think outside the box on ways we can synergise to develop the game in your various Councils.

“I also encourage you to keep in touch with us. Whatever challenges you are facing, let us know. At the same time, make efforts to organise competitions at your councils. Through that, you will create awareness and we will come in to support you,” he said.

The Sports Officers from the five Area Councils of AMAC, Kwali, Bwari, Kuje and Gwagwalada were present while Abaji registered his absence.

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Sports

Fresh Air, As Dikko Resumes As NSC Chairman, Unveils 3-Pillar For Sports Growth

Published

13 hours ago

October 30, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The newly appointed Chairman of National Sports Commision Malam Shehu Dikko on Wednesday officially assumed office unveiled 3 Pillars to growth sport sector.

Just last week President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Shehu Dikko as Chairman of the National Sports Commission.

Speaking shortly in Abuja after outgoing Minister of Sports Senator John Enoh officially handed over the affairs of the Country’s Sports to him in a brief ceremony in Abuja.

He expressed that the Country’s journey towards a sustainable Sports Economy has begun.

According to him, history has a way of coming full circle because in 2008 I was a consultant to the House of Representatives and was responsible for the drafting of the National Sports Commission Bill and about 16 years down the line i have here with the assignment to implement the work I assisted to put together”.

“The objective of Mr President is to harness the full potentials of the Sports Economy in Nigeria”.

“And we have to first change our mindset from the fixation of just competitions and winning medals and come back and fix our Domestic Sports Development”.

“When we set the foundation right the results and the winning of medals will naturally come in a sustainable manner and that should be the new mindset”.

“We cannot continue to run in cycles so we need to have a different approach from day one because in my view and indeed the view of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, competitions is what we call “Consumption” because we just take scarce resources and burn out abroad without any impact on the domestic sports development and the Nigerian Economy.

“But we have to go back to “Production” which is deliberate Sports Development, where we set the structure right, set the framework and put together good parameters to have a sustainable Sports Development which will naturally give us a solid Sports Economy and indeed guaranteed competitive participation at all competitions and medals.

“This is the reason why our administration will be focus on three Pillars including running Sports as a National Asset, that is entitled to special privileges, regulations and concessions to drive growth and development to open its potentials to be a key driver of the economy across all sectors, a vehicle for achieving national cohesion and projection of the positive and unique attributes of our culture and national identity “.

” We have to also work on Legislations and Regulations so as to set the framework to enable the Industry to grow effectively like what happened in the communications industry some years back”.

” The other Pillar is investing in purposeful world class infrastructures that will provide an enabling environment for Growth. These infrastructures must be deliberate with maintenance culture and span from world class infrastructure for professional sports to community infrastructure to drive grassroots sports and mass participation across the country.

” The thinking of Mr President is that , after having some of all these in place we should be able to measure the Country’s Sports by its contribution to the nation’s GDP by at least three percent and the number of jobs sports and its value chain are providing in country in the next four to five years and indeed our competitiveness across all competitions and tournaments.

Thus it’s a fantastic decision for Mr. President to approve the return of the National Sports Comission to drive the process and objectives in line to the best international practices and standards devoid of any beureucratic bottlenecks but absolute professionalism.”

In his remark, the outgoing Sportst Minister Senator John Enoh expressed: “For me it’s farewell, it’s bye bye and for mallam shehu Dikko it’s welcome that is what life is all about, there is time for everything.

He however thumbed president Tinubu for scrapping Sports Ministry and bring back the NSC to enable sports to grow in the country, saying that the decision remain a great positive that will grow Sports.

On his remark, the most senior staff of the ministry, Director of Medicine Paul Onyedo pledged staff support to work with incoming Chairman to the best of their ability. “We are ready to give our best.”

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