Sports

Sports Minister Ensures Grant Support for All Team Nigeria Athletes

Published

3 months ago

August 6, 2024

….First-ever training grants for home-Based competitors at Olympics is paid

In a continued effort to ensure the welfare and support of Team Nigeria athletes at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, held another interactive session with the athletes at the games village in Paris, France.

This meeting was aimed at addressing concerns and providing updates on the status of allowances and training grants for all athletes.

During the session, it was highlighted that home-based athletes had previously raised concerns about not receiving training grants, which had been a privilege primarily extended to their foreign-based counterparts. The Minister acknowledged this oversight and emphasized the need for equitable treatment for all athletes representing the country.

“For the first time ever, we have ensured that home-based athletes representing Nigeria also receive training grants. Both foreign and home-based athletes have now been provided with training grants, in addition to all other allowances that have already been paid. This initiative recognizes that all athletes, regardless of their base, contribute significant effort and passion in representing our country. They are all deserving of this support,” stated Senator John Owan Enoh.

The Minister also confirmed that all local, foreign, and Olympic allowances have been paid to the athletes, ensuring they are adequately supported as they compete on the world stage. This comprehensive approach underscores the government’s commitment to the well-being and success of Team Nigeria athletes.

The atmosphere at the games village is one of excitement and optimism, with athletes expressing their enthusiasm for podium appearances. The provision of training grants and the fulfillment of all allowances have contributed to boosting morale and ensuring that all athletes feel valued and supported.

Senator John Owan Enoh reiterated the government’s commitment to the athletes and wished them the best in their respective competitions.

“Our athletes have shown incredible dedication and passion. We are proud of their achievements so far and confident in their potential to bring glory to Nigeria. We stand behind them and will continue to provide the necessary support,” he concluded.

Share on Facebook

Sports

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

Published

11 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.”

Share on Facebook