By Eddie Akalonu
Director of the National Institute for Sports, NIS, Lagos Dr. Sunny Ikhioya has disclosed that the Institute’s programmes have been repositioned towards producing professionals and technocrats in all aspects of it’s disciplines needed to key roles in the new transformation agenda for sports development in the country.

Speaking during the  Institute’s 2012/2013 Matriculation in Lagos,  Ikhioya told the students that  they were going to be exposed to extensive classroom work and intensive practicals cutting across coaching,  information and

sports management that would help arm them in work and life.

“ In addition,” he stated  “the training  is such that will position  you to play key roles in sports development and promotion as well as contribute positively towards making direct impact, identifying talents in different spheres of sports and nurture them towards success to be achieved by Nigerian sportsmen and  in international competitions.”

The  director pledged that  management was fully committed to ensuring that their stay in the institute was not only memorable and that “they would have given training that will fully equip them as key personnel in any department of sports they find themselves.

Dr. Ikioya sounded a note of warning to them to be serious at all times   “but to get the best, you all must concentrate on the purpose that brought you to the Institute.” He also urged the students to take seriously all aspects of study, emphasising that management does not compromise on  demand for full class attendance, as this forms a major requirement for graduation.

In the same manner he congratulated the students for scaling through the rigors of the Institute’s admission process. He told Nigerians that the Institute  has moved to running long-term programmes of training.

.saying “ even those Nigerians who go abroad to do  three and six months short courses, still come to the institute to undergo it’s long term programmes because they have found them more rewarding.”

In all, 78 students were matriculated spanning through  diploma in coaching and training, diploma in stadium management and higher diploma in sports management and management studies respectively.