By Innocent Odoh The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will soon take steps to revive sporting activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to enable sports take its rightful position in the socio-economic development of the Territory.
A statement issued on Monday by the Deputy Director/Chief Press Secretary to the ministry, Muhammad Hazat Sule, said that FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello dropped this hint on
Monday in Abuja, while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Hockey Federation led by its President, Senator Abdul Ningi that paid him a working visit.
The Minister said that sports is a very important avenue to engage the youths as it also serves as employment opportunity adding that the FCT Administration under him would turn around sporting activities, even as he acknowledged the assistance the FCT has been receiving from the Nigeria Hockey Federation.
Bello reiterated that the FCT Administration would partner and support Sports Federations to take sporting activities to greater heights in the Territory, the statement said.
His words: “The current FCT Administration would do everything possible to revive sporting activities in the Federal Capital Territory particularly hockey, because it also goes a long way in improving the health status of the people”.
The Minister emphasized that the Federal Capital Territory has an international standard hockey pitch and therefore urged the Nigeria Hockey Federation to take advantage of the facility to entrench the
game in all the nooks and crannies of the Territory.
Bello noted that his Administration would leverage on the experiences of the President as well as the Board members in engaging the FCT youths.
He assured that the FCT Administration would be represented at the closing ceremony of the on-going super league competition in Abuja as requested by the Federation, the statement said.
Speaking earlier, the President of the Nigerian Hockey Federation, Senator Abdul Ningi disclosed that the Federation is expecting some sports facilities from the International Hockey Federation and that
would benefit.
The President remarked that the Nigerian Hockey Federation will be attending the African Hockey Federation meeting in Accra, Ghana in September 2016 and therefore solicited for the FCT Administration’s support, the statement added.
