Sam Sodje issues a clarion call to
Nigeria’s sports ministry
By Rasheed Adewuyi
The Federal Ministry of Youths, Sports and Social Development has been advised to take proper care of athletes discovered at the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Delta later this month.
Sam Sodje, the special adviser to the state governor, who gave this advice in a telephone chat with Sports Joust, explained that the ministry of Sports should emulate Delta state by assisting budding talents to become future champions.
“It is good to discover athletes at the grassroots level, but it is very important to give them all the necessary assistance that will make them compete with their counterparts from other parts of the world. Moral and financial support should be given to upcoming athletes if Nigeria wants to produce more world champions like Tobi Amusan,” he said.
According to Sodje, Delta state won the last six Sports festivals due to constant support from the state government, adequate preparation, and monitoring of its athletes.
” We took our athletes to the United States of America on different training tours that have helped them to win medals in various events in previous Sports festivals,” he added.
Sports Joust gathered that over eight thousand athletes from the 36 states of the federation, including the festival capital Abuja, will take part in this year’s festival.
Delta won the last edition held in Edo state with 384 medals. 158 gold, 116 silver, and 110 bronze.
