Solomon Dalung, the Minister of Youths and Sports on Thursday said the government would continue to priortise the welfare of athletes to sustain sports development in the country.
Dalung said this at the unveiling of mascot and logo of the 2019 International Para-Powerlifting Championships in Lagos.
The championship is slated for January.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Para Powerlifting awarded Nigeria the hosting right of the championship which would serve as qualification for the 2020 Paralympics Games.
The minister said that one of the major factors that affected sports in the country could be linked to the careless attitude toward athletes’ welfare.
“Since we came on board, we have prioritised the welfare of athletes and we ensure that the large chunk of every budgetary allocation goes to the welfare of the athletes.
“The athletes are the main actors in sports and should be treated as such, ” he said.
Dalung urged sports administrators to consider the welfare of athletes as the most important factor to drive sports development.
He added that the effort put up by athletes during training required a lot of energy, support and funding for optimum results.
Dalung urged athletes to remain steadfast and good embassadors of the country when competing.
