GOVERNOR Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has inaugurated the executives of 31 sports associations as efforts continue to meet his administration’s target of raising 10,000 grassroots athletes in five years.
The newly inaugurated chairmen and members of the sports associations are prominent sons and daughters of Edo State, including Uyi Akpata (cricket), former world-class hurdler and Olympian Henry Amike (athletics), legal luminary Professor Mike Ozekhome (weightlifting), Mrs Maryann Philip Shaibu (chess) and former Inspector General of Police Solomon Arase (shooting).
Inaugurating the various associations in Benin City on Friday, Governor Obaseki asserted that the Edo Sports Commission’s programme and objective of discovering and nurturing 10,000 athletes which at implementation will make Edo State a sports tourism destination is realisable with the right professionals already assembled to form the bedrock of sports administration in the state.
He charged the association executives to team up with the Edo State Sports Commission led by Olympian Yusuf Alli in the vigorous pursuit of government sports programmes in the state.
The sports-loving governor, who described sports as a veritable tool in boosting the socio-economic life of Edo people, restated his commitment to completing all ongoing sports infrastructure projects in the state as part of the strategy to oil the wheels of progress of the Edo State Sports Commission.
“Go and and work tirelessly to achieve the mandate given to you and the Edo Sports Commission by discovering young athletes from the grassroots and nurturing same to stardom,” the governor Obaseki told the sports associations executives.
The Governor Obaseki-led administration, on assumption of office, had announced that one of its cardinal objectives was to revamp the state’s sports sector, starting with the reconstruction of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium and other sporting facilities across the state.
Also speaking during the inauguration ceremony held at the new Festival Hall, Government House, Benin City, the Deputy Governor Comrade Philip Shaibu said: “The inauguration of these 31 sports associations by Edo State Governor Mr Godwin Obaseki whose mandate is to constitute the bedrock of sports development in the state is to start work immediately.”
Comrade Shaibu explained that the inauguration of the 31 sports associations is a milestone in the new vision in sports development as it will solidify the foundation of sports in the state.
Speaking on behalf of other members of the newly inaugurated sports associations, President National Cricket Association Uyi Akpata promised the associations’ commitment to delivering on their mandates, assuring that they would not betray the confidence reposed in them.
In their separate remarks, the Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission Yusuf Alli and the Permanent Secretary Sabina Chikere noted that the sports associations will help the commission to develop sports from the grassroots level.
The 31 sports associations include Athletics, Aquatic, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Chess, Cricket, Cycling, Darts, Deaf Athletics, Golf, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Karate, Kickboxing, Kung Fu, Para-athletics and Rugby.
Others are Scrabble, Shooting, Squash,Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Wheelchair Tennis, Traditional Sports, Volleyball, Weightlifting, Wrestling as well as Para-powerlifting.
