Sports

Dare Bags NOC’s Outstanding Youth and Sports Minister Award

Published

3 years ago

May 25, 2023

The Sports and Youth Development Minister Sunday Dare has received an award for his contributions to sports development in Nigeria and the Olympic movement.

The Outstanding Youth and Sports Minister Award was presented to Dare by the Executive Board of the Nigeria Olympic Committee(NOC) led by its President, Engineer Habu Gumel in Abuja on Wednesday.

Gumel highlighted “the numerous and outstanding achievements as the captain of Nigerian sports and Minister of Youth and Sports Development” to include the emergence of the National Sports Industry Policy(NSIP), Adopt initiative, revamping of the Nigeria Professional Football League(NPFL), payment of monthly stipends to the families of departed sports icons as well as providing financial support to ailing former and active athletes.

According to the NOC President, “another remarkable legacy was the delivery of the Headquarters and Secretariat of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa(ANOCA) by the Federal Government of Nigeria which was commissioned by the President of the International Olympic Committee(IOC), Dr Thomas Bach.”

In his response, the Minister attributed the successes he recorded to the support he received from the sports federations because of their direct dealings with the athletes.

Dare said, “I salute the resilience of the sports federations, their sacrifices and work in developing sports in Nigeria deserve commendation. In spite of all the challenges of funding, they still turn up for international competitions thereby giving the athletes the needed exposure and training required to compete at the elite level and you all know that without these athletes, nothing is possible in sports. There will be no achievements.”

The Sports Minister also identified funding as one of the biggest challenges of sports development in Nigeria, a problem, he believes the newly approved National Sports Industry Policy(NSIP) will alleviate.
“The incentives outlined in the Sports as Business Policy have been approved and will be announced soon. The technical committee has put finishing touches to the document and it will become fully operational soon.

“This will drive private sector support for sports and there will be a massive turn around as the funding issues will be confronted headlong.

‘In the last four years, Sports moved from being a third tier ministry to being a first tier one. Apart from this, under the Federal Government’s National Development Plan(NDP), sports will receive N80 billion for the next four years. A plan is in place to make sure a percentage of this fund goes directly to the sports federations.

“Just a few weeks back, the Federal Government approved N2.4 billon for a High Performance Centre to be established inside the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja and before then, there is the Anti Doping Centre to be established in Nsukka, Enugu State.”

He commended the Nigeria Olympic Committee(NOC) for offering scholarships to many Nigerian athletes, ensuring they combine their participation in sports with education.

Speaking earlier at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar thanked the Minister for his wonderful performance in office, wishing him well in his future endeavours while calling for stronger cooperation with the Olympic family.

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Sports

Tangerine APT Pension Crowned New Kings of PFA Games 2025

Published

6 mins ago

November 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi
Joel Ajayi Tangerine APT Pension stormed the 2025 Pension Fund Administrators Games and snatched the crown with a commanding 66 points—ending FCMB’s reign and announcing themselves as the new champions of corporate sporting excellence.

From the first whistle to the final scoreboard, Tangerine APT played like an organisation possessed. They dominated volleyball and snooker, showcased brilliant tactical depth to finish second in chess behind Norrenberger, secured second place in team bonding behind Premium Pension, and held their own across the board—fourth in football, sixth in table tennis, fifth in scrabble, and eighth in e-sports, press conference, discipline and grooming. Every point mattered, and Tangerine APT grabbed them with fire.

Defending champions FCMB, despite flashes of brilliance, simply could not summon last year’s magic.

They finished second overall with 63 points—just three points behind the new champions. FCMB were first in scrabble, second in football, third in table tennis and e-sports, fourth in snooker and team bonding, and fifth in volleyball, chess, and press conference/discipline/grooming. A brave defence, but not enough to stop the Tangerine wave.

Rounding off the podium is NPF Pension, finishing third with 57 points after a spirited campaign. They claimed gold in football, second in table tennis and e-sports, third in volleyball, fourth in scrabble, sixth in press conference/discipline/fanfare/most coordinated, seventh in chess, and eighth in snooker and team bonding.

The rest of the table saw fierce competition:4th – Norrenberger Pension: 52 points, 5th – Premium Pension: 47 points, 6th – NNPC Pension: 45 points, 7th – Access Arm: 41 points
In Others position 8th – Trustfund Pension: 29 points 9th – PENCOM: 28 points and 10th – NUPEMCO: 25 points.

With the dust settled and the cheers still echoing, one truth stands tall:Tangerine APT Pension has ushered in a new era—bold, dominant, and unforgettable.

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