Dr. Adebukola Bojuwoye, Secretary, Medical and Scientific Commission, Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), on Monday urged the states to make sports medicine relevant for proper development of sports in the country.

Bojuwoye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the neglect of sports medicine was partly responsible for the current state of the industry.

He noted that if the various states could establish standard centres to cater for health-related issues it would help to uplift sports.

“The only thing we pay attention to in sport is training and performance during competition thereby paying less attention to sports medicine.

“Administrators should embrace sport medicine.

“Sport medicine has a major role to play when it comes to issues of doping, age cheat, physical condition of athletes and other related issues.

“The case of Samuel Okwaraji who slumped and died on the pitch is still very fresh in the mind of many Nigerians.

“Only few states like Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Edo and Ogun can boast of functional sports medicine centre in the country. I hope other states will do the needful,’’ he said. (NAN)