Minister of Youth and Sports Development Minister, Mr Sunday Dare, has commended the Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for hosting the council of sports meeting at short notice, even as he promised a new dawn for sports development.
Speaking on Friday at the opening of the Council of Sports, Dare said: “What is the council without the presence of all the states. Delta State has made this possible at short notice following the #ENDSARS protests which made Lagos to pull out. Delta has once again proved that it is a sports-loving state.”
He said further: “After 14 months as minister, I realised that we need to do a lot to further develop our sports. Nigeria has huge potentials which must be explored to the fullest. We want a change beyond just attending competition. Sports Development means grass roots development, infrastructural development, athletes welfare and business. We want to change the orientation that sports is play play so that we can have the right template.”
The minister said the postponement of the National Sports Festival was one of the toughest decisions due to COVID-19 lockdown.
“Edo 2020 engages my mind because of the passion, opportunities it affords our youth. We desire that this takes place this year. We can work out the modalities, consult PTF and go to the president for final approval. If we are able to host the festival, it would engage our youths.
“We need to engage our youths through the Unity Cup. We already started it in Oyo and saw the passion by the youth. We plan to have Kano, Kwara and Delta Unity Cup. Each state would be at liberty to decide the sports they have most interest in,” he said.
The minister said the Principal’s Cup would be national, and would involve other sports.
He said the country must align its development with “what is obtainable in other parts of the world,” adding that the country needed sporting facilities in the states.
He said the federal government would be approached for a bailout fund to put most of the abandoned facilities back in good shape.
He said the government would also build mini sports centres in all part of the country, adding that the existing ones would be given a facelift.
