Sports
Sports Minister charges Scrabble Federation on Grassroot Development
Joel Ajayi
The Honourable Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare has charged the Scrabble Federation of Nigeria to hunt for talents at the grassroots with a view to retaining their present status at global competitions.
The Minister gave the charge today in his Office in Abuja when he received a delegation from the Federation who came to present the PAN African Scrabble Championship Trophy on Maiden Tour of Africa, to him.
He stated that Nigeria was proud of the Federation for standing out as the Number one Scrabble-playing nation in the world and urged them to hold unto the position through the discovery and nurturing of players from the grassroots.
“I am glad to receive the trophy, and as the trophy makes its tour, I know that it will come back to Nigeria after the Tournament”, Dare said.
The Minister who commended the 8-year-old Master Saviour Onazi, National Junior Scrabble Champion, for the feat he had achieved for the country, assured that the Ministry will support his education and tournaments as part of its Talent Hunt Programme.
Dare stated further that the future of sports in Nigeria is bright with the passage of the National Sports Industry Policy (NSIP) which has reclassified Sports as Business and not Recreation, noting that it outlines an effective means of improving the funding of sports, obligations of the different tiers of government as well as participation of the private sector and other stakeholders in sports.
He therefore called on the Federation to create more awareness on the forthcoming competition as they prepare to host the first ever edition of the Pan-African Scrabble Championship that will be held in Nigeria in August 2023.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar thanked the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration for its commitment to the development of sports in the country.
While calling on sports loving Nigerians and philanthropists to key into the NSIP for a more robust partnership in the sector, he assured that government will continue to create an enabling environment for both athletes and investors to thrive in the field of sports.
Also speaking, the President, PAN African Scrabble Association, Mr. Adekoyejo Adegbesan thanked the Ministry for its support to the Federation, stressing that they will deploy their technical expertise so as to solidify their dominance in the game.
Sports
King defeats 21 others to win RSFL ultimate skills challenge
New Dawn FC star, Emmanuel King Wednesday defeated 21 other players to emerge champion in the maiden edition of the Ultimate Skills Challenge.
The challenge was organised by the Rising Star Football League (RSFL) and held at the Bwari Township Stadium, Abuja.
King had tied on 71 points with his closest challenger, Philip Onyedika but clinched the honour with a tie-breaker.
He went home with N250,000 while Onyedika who came second got N100,000. John Godwin came third and smiled home with N50,000. All the twenty-two players received N10,000 as appearance fees.
“It was a beautiful program and I am grateful to the management for this opportunity to help the young and grassroots footballer to grow. I am glad I emerged champion after a close tie with my opponent,” he said.
Speaking with the league’s project supervisor, Ifeanyi Kama, the challenge was instituted to keep the players busy after the league had ended a few weeks back.
“It is done for the best players in the league. It is an event to keep them going, not to be idle, and encourage them after the league has ended. We are trying to keep the energy up there. We are trying to showcase these talents to the world,” he said.
He further sought more partnerships from brands as it is working with the FCT football association to develop the players.
“Basically, we are currently working with the FCT FA and affiliated with them for this program. We can’t do this alone as we need their support to promote these players,” he noted.
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