By: Gracious Akujobi
The Director-General of National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye has hinted that the Commission will consider the inclusion of Squash in the forthcoming National Youth Games (NYC).
He made this on Thursday when he granted audience to a delegation from Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF), led by its President, Adamu Erena, in his office at the Abuja National Stadium.
Elegbeleye said that the NSC will continue to support Sports federations that are making impacts in their sports.
He used the occasion to reiterate the importance of sports to a nation’s image, according to him, “sports more than anything else is now a major determinant in international politics especially in the area of re-branding”.
He stressed that one major key performance indicator of the Commission is mass participation in sport but was however quick to note that the potential to win medals for the country can never be over emphasized.
While promising the government’s continued supports to the Federation in particular, the DG urged the federation to continue working hard in order to win medals for the country in international competitions.
Earlier, the President of the Federation told the DG he was in his office to inform him of the programmes of activities of the Federation.
He said a ‘Director-General’s Cup squash competition’ was concluded last week in Abuja, adding that exceptional players would be selected for the All-African Junior Squash Championship (AAJSC) in Egypt.
Mr. Erena who pledged that the Federation will continue to make Nigeria proud in International competition solicited for government’s supports in the preparation of its players for major competitions.
The winners of the Director-General Cup competition received a cash reward of N50,000 each while the runners-up got N30,000 each from the Director-General.