Sports
Swan Donate Bags Of Rice To Sports Minister
Despite coming under attack in recent weeks, over Nigeria’s withdrawal from participating in international basketball, the minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare has described the industry as one big family.
The minister was yesterday presented bags of rice by the Sports Writer Association of Nigeria (SWAN) FCT chapter, as part of their Easter and Eid-El-Fitr gifts which were also extended to members.
FCT SWAN Chairman, Bunmi Haruna, who was in the company of some members said they see the minister as part of the SWAN family and will continue to support him to succeed in office.
“We don’t have much, but from the little we have as an association, we have come to share with you.
“We know you don’t lack such things, but we see you as part of us and whatever we have we share,” Haruna said.”We appreciate your huge strides in the sports industry in the last three years and want to let you know we will continue to support you to achieve even more.”
The Minister, while responding, described the gesture as the first of its kind: “This has never happened before and I’m going to tell my wife when I get home. This shows we are one big family, I thank SWAN for this gesture.”
He also spoke on the withdrawal of Nigerian teams from participating in international basketball for two years.
“The true basketball stakeholders know that the ministry is not the problem, they know where the problem Is,” Dare said.
The SWAN, FCT chapter had last month shared close to 100 bags of rice to members as Easter and Sallah packages.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.