Stakeholders in sports have urged the new Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare, to reposition the sector for the overall benefit of the country.
The stakeholders, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the telephone on Friday in Ibadan, enjoined the minister to do all within his powers to ensure proper funding of all games.
The President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF), Daniel Igali, while congratulating Dare on what he called his well-deserved appointment, advised him to work towards elevating the status of sports in the country.
“I congratulate the new minister on his merited appointment. Our hope is for him to elevate the status of sports in the country.
“We also urge him to ensure that there is ample funding for all sports, especially Olympic sports and all other tournaments,” he said.
Igali assured the minister of the unflinching cooperation and support of NWF in order for him to succeed in the national assignment.
Also, a board member of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Mr Anderson Bankole, urged Dare to reposition sports during his tenure so that they could get back on track.
“Sports in Nigeria, at the moment, are not what they used to be. Our athletes need to attend more international competitions so that they can improve on their skills.
“International competitions will surely help sharpen their skills to enable them compete with their counterparts from around the globe. It will also help improve their international rankings.
“There is also the need for constant local competitions so they can have the opportunity to challenge their fellow competitors across the country,” Bankole said.
