Sports Minister, Bolaji
Abdulahi, has said that  the National Sports Commission (NSC) will never neglect any ailing athlete who has at one time or the other represented the country.
The minister spoke through Bolaji Ojo-Oba, a Director in the NSC in Benin, while presenting N1 million cash as medical assistance to ex-international, Sunday Eboigbe, who had been down with stroke.
“It is the new thinking in the NSC that our past athletes will not be forgotten, because they are our heroes and heroines.
According to him, it is not in our character to abandon our past heroes.
“We will always respond to their distress calls, whenever we hear of their calls for assistance, while they are still alive.
“We only got to know of Eboigbe’s ailment last week and here I am, directed by the minister to show our concern.
“We want to applaud the media for drawing our attention to this.  And we urge the media not to hesitate in future to always let us know of such happenings.
“We will surely play our part,’’ Abduallhi said.
The one-million naira cash was presented to Eboigbe, as a token from the commission, to assist him to offset part of his medicals bills.
Present at the occasion were some sports personalities, including the former Pro-League Board Chairman, Oyiuki Obaseki; the Edo FA chairman,  Abel Ehigie and former Edo Sports Commissioner, Brown Ebewele.
Responding, Eboigbe thanked the NSC for the gesture and solicited the assistance of many more kind-hearted Nigerians to assist him to offset his rising medical bills since his ailment.
The former Super Eagles’ defender had been down with stroke for about two years now.
Eboigbe, whose speech has been slurred as a result of the health challenge, could also hardly walk.
However, the Edo State Sports Council had been benevolent as he was still on their payroll, even when he had hardly been to work in the last two years.