…Team Nigeria to make impact @ Tokyo Olympics

…Promises more opportunities for Youths

By Tony Ubani

With 205 days to the start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sports Minister, Sunday Dare has promised that Team Nigeria would make the Olympics count as Nigeria would not be going there to make up the numbers.

In his new year goodwill message, Dare promised a new lease of life for sports stating, ”athletes will be exposed to the best training, competitions and camping possible. The process is already ongoing- and will be sustained”.

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The Minister said that the government will provide and open up more opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition working with strategic implementation partners.

”Earnest Work is ongoing to rejuvenate Sports development in all ramifications in Nigeria. It’s not a dash but a long distance race and we have started. We do not crave early applauds, rather we want to use this given opportunity to change the fundamentals of sports development”, the Minister said.

He said that the ministry will in 2020 monitor and ensure the completion of about 20 mini-stadiums across the country just as the Imo-model of one mini-Stadium per Local government by each state will be marketed.

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”Talks are ongoing concerning the renovation of the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium. Our goal is to deliver four FIFA standard pitches by the first quarter of 2020 by God’s grace”, he promised.

”To all Nigerian Youth and Sports family, best wishes for a happy new year 2020. We will continue with the initiatives and restructuring we have begun- determined to keep our eyes at the tip of the spear.

The government of President Buhari is committed to increasing the level of investment in our youth as the slew of new youth engagements unfold and the previous ones are strengthened and consolidated”.

Vanguard News