Nigeria Needs Strong Foundation For Sports Dev

Chairman, Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA), Godwin Bamigboye, Abuja Chapter, has urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to lay ‘a very strong foundation’ for the future of sports in the country.

Bamigboye told newsmen yesterday in Abuja that that the only way for laying such a foundation was for the commission to concentrate its attention at the grassroots.

“Grassroots sport is the future of sports and the way forward to sports development. It is from the grassroots that new talents are discovered for continuity,” Bamigboye said.

According to him, Nigeria has given so much attention and concentration to the elite level and the national male and female football teams.

“We need to give a good foundation to the younger ones for us to have good products for national and international competitions.

“Without a solid foundation, we will have a weak structure, so we need a very solid foundation for us to have a good structure in the future,” he said.

The chairman, however, commended the Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, on the proposal to develop sports complexes in the local government areas.

“As a matter of fact, the NFCA will always keep the minister on his toes, to ensure the implementation of the proposal,” Bamigboye said.

The NFCA chairman noted that most councils in the country lacked sports arenas and urged such councils to endeavour to provide such facilities in their areas.

According to him, only the availability of modern sports facilities can guarantee the continuous development of talents at the grassroots.