The Bauch State chapter of the Sport Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), says it will organise sports summit, to discuss challenges affecting sports development in the state.
Mr Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the association, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Zonal Manager of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Rabiu Sani-Ali, on Wednesday in Bauchi.
Yakubu said the summit would provide a platform for the stakeholders to x-ray challenges, proffer solutions and chart a course for sustainable sports development in the state.
“The summit is to discuss problems and prospects of sports in the state.
“In the past Bauchi was top-listed in Nigeria’s sports, unfortunately, the state is nowhere to be found.
“We want to look at what happened and how we can take Bauchi back to its position,” he said.
According to him, the association will initiate capacity building programmes to expose it’s members to techniques of modern sports writing.
He, therefore, called for more collaboration with NAN to enhance coverage of local sporting events in the state.
Yakubu said such collaboration was imperative to enable the association to contribute positively towards encouraging sports development at the grassroots.
“Our main assignment is to report sports activities and we are also critical stakeholders in the sense that we are the watchdog of sporting events.
“Therefore, we cannot work in isolation, we need to work hand in hand with our various media organisations towards achieving the set objectives.”
Responding, Sani-Ali, said that NAN as the major newswire agency in Nigeria and Africa, was working towards ensuring positive reportage of government’s policies and programmes, social, political and economic activities in the society.
Sani-Ali reiterated the agency’s commitment to collaborate with the association towards achieving sustainble sports development in the state.
“It is a good idea for you to organise a channel where you train your members to enable them to do the job as they are expected to,” he said.(NAN)
