By Gracious Akujobi
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Gbenga Elegbeleye has disclosed that the Commission has mapped out strategies to woo Nigerian athletes wherever they are in the world to come and participate in the development of sports in the country.
Elegbeleye, who was in London (on August 17th, 2013) for the Africa’s Diasporas through sport seminar where he gave an inspiring lecture on Nigerian sports and the enabling environment put in place by the National Sports Commission for Nigerian athletes in Diaspora say the athletes have been asked to come back home and help in the growth of sports in Nigeria.
“Recently the National Sports Commission decided to change the trend as regards the way we package our sports programmes and has introduced a welfare package that will be attractive to our athletes wherever they are anywhere in the world and at home too”
“We are sincerely working very hard to ensure that we have a solid structure on ground and make our system workable and also make our athletes happier which I believe will start yielding positive results as from next year’s Commonwealth Games but our main target is the 2016
Olympics In Brazil”, the DG of the NSC disclosed in Abuja at the weekend.
The DG also revealed that star athletes like Blessing Okagbare, Ajoke Odumosun and the rest who did Nigeria proud by winning medals and sailing through to the final of their various event will henceforth enjoy quarterly grants to support them in their training programmes but added that they have to merit it before such funds could be paid into their accounts.
According to him it is better these athletes enjoy such funds because without them there won’t be the National Sports Commission in the first place. He also added that the beneficiaries would be in three categories namely A, B and C while category A will be treated first while others follow.
Elegbeleye also stated that NSC has to make its system attractive and workable for these athletes to come in terms of welfare packages to woo Nigerian star athletes from the youth level to come and represent their father land despite being born overseas.
Speaking about the London trip Elegbeleye said “As regards the trip to United Kingdom, we met with younger generation of Nigerian athletes who have not represented United Kingdom at the senior level despite doing so at the youth level”
“I told them at the meeting that the National Sports Commission will give them attractive welfare packages, support their training programmes even if they are not resident in Nigeria. I told them the NSC will give them quarterly grants for their training and the young lads were very happy”, Elegbeleye revealed.
The DG of the NSC said the future is bright for Nigerian sports as the athletes have indicated interest in coming for National trials in Nigeria after he assured them of their safety and attractive well fare packages.
