By: Gracious Akujobi Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye will on Saturday meet with Nigerian athletes that are British citizens with the aim of persuading them to come back to Nigeria to help develop sports,
He will speak at the inaugural launching of African Sports in Diaspora scheduled to hold at the Greenwich Community College.
The Special Assistant on Technical Matters to the NSC DG, Mary Onyali who spoke from Moscow Airport on her way to London for the event, said Elegbeleye is leading a strong delegation of the National Sports Commission.
According to her, Elegbeleye, thought it wise to meet with Nigerian born athletes residing in England and environs to have dialogue with them on the reason for them to come back home to help Nigerian sports according to President Goodluck Jonathan’s clarion call.
She said, “The DG of the NSC has a date with Nigerian born athletes in Diaspora from ages 11 to 19 years who are secondary, college and university students on Saturday (today) at the Launching of African Sport in Diaspora at the Greenwich Community College, London.
“The meeting is a clarion call President Goodluck Jonathan through the National Sports Commission to return home to represent their country in international events as well as help in the growth and development of Nigerian sports”, Onyali a former Nigerian and African athletics Queen disclosed.
She also revealed that not only Nigeria has representative to give keynote addresses, three other African countries namely Ghana, Uganda and Kenya are also expected to address their athletes at the gathering to make them see reason why they should come back home to help their countries’ sports grow.
“Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Kenya are using the parley in London to persuade their athletes born and living in England, United States of America and other parts of the world to come back home to salvage their sports. These countries believe that these athletes despite competing for their adopted countries at the teenage level could still rejoin their colleagues in these countries to help in the development of sports.
“So Elegbeleye will address Nigerian athletes and their parents/guardian in London on Saturday and assure them on the plans, programmes and structure that the NSC has put in place for these athletes to succeed.
“He will tell them that the National Sports Commissio has a good grassroots and development programmes for them to blend and gel with the others already representing the nation at both national and International competitions”, Onyali said.
