By Eddie Akalonu

Former Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF, vice president Yemi Owoseni has urged Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, NSC to make preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games a priority as he settles down.

He said that the new helmsman must immediately put in place, not just the modalities for Nigeria’s participation in Rio2016, but also the strategies for athletes and coaches’ development with a view to doing well in the Games. “Hon. Elegbe-leyes antecedents of having worked in various sports committees are a plus for the sector, but I would enjoin him to try to involve a strong sports policy that will foster rapid development of all sports in a way that national federations would be more functional and more result oriented and responsive to the yearnings of Nigerians for higher performance. He should also concentrate on grassroots sports development because it is the basis of sports growth in any country of the world,” he said in an interview.

Owoseni, who is also the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) Zone Two Vice President expressed confidence that the new D.G would bring his wealth of experience to bear in the discharge of his duty.

“ Hon. Elegbeleye is a well known face in the sports sector, being the former chairman of Ondo State Table Tennis Association at which level he contributed his quota towards the development of the game in the State besides being also Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Civil Service Commission.

He has come at a more pressing time that there is an urgent need to properly coordinate Nigeria’s participation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and one only hopes the D.G would see that all the National Sports Federations are well coordinated and put in the right frame for challenges ahead,” he said.