Use Sports As Panacea For Global Disputes – Fashola

Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, has urged nations to use sports to resolve all forms of dispute.

Fashola said this while receiving Dr. Carlton Brown, President, Clark Atlanta University, USA, who led a delegation from the institution to visit him..

Fashola particularly frowned at situations where children were used as kid soldiers to fight territorial wars.

“Major conflicts in the world can be solved through sporting activities such as football matches and athletic competitions.

“Nowadays, we have sports men in government and business circles, who have learnt the merits of losing to opponents with the readiness to try again”, he said.

The governor described sports as a positive area where youths would naturally want to dissipate their energies with  little persuasion from the elderly ones.

He suggested that world leaders should exploit the interest of the youth to develop sports.

“Through this, youths will learn perseverance and the spirit of sportsmanship, thus promoting healthy competition instead of dissipating their energies on social vices”, he said.

Fashola explained that his administration had continued to give attention to the development of sports infrastructure to afford youths the opportunity of developing their talents.

He implored the visiting team to assist the state in the training of its athletes and coaches.

“In the alternative, we can send some of our personnel to your university for training other trainers”, he said.

Earlier, Brown said that his team was in Nigeria to explore the possibility of signing an MoU in sports development with the country.

He said such would further facilitate a long term relationship between his institution and Nigeria.

He recalled that his university had trained some African youths, especially during the preparation for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Brown commended Fashola for the “good works” he had been doing in Lagos State since assuming office.

Other members of the delegation are Dr. Joseph Silver, the vice president and provost of the university, Dr. Paul Brown, Director of International Education and Dr Tamica Jones, Director of Athletes.