Sports
NISport D-G Assures On Dev Of Institute
The Director-General of the National Institute for Sport (NISport), John Dadi-Mamud, says the management of the institute is poised to improve the lot of the institute, but blamed the paucity of funds for the delay in its numerous programmes.
The DG, who spoke against the backdrop of the oversight visit by the House of Representatives Committee on Sports to the National Stadium Lagos, said that the visit would open new doors of opportunities.
Tidesports source gathered that the House Committee on Sports was led by its Chairman, Hon. Olumide Osoba. Rasheed Afolabi, Tunji Olawuyi and Mohammed Bello were also in the entourage.
“We have embarked on various reforms even before the Houses visit. Before the COVID-19 break we have been doing some renovations.
“The problem with NISport has been the issue of funding to maintain our facilities. We have been told to improve on our revenue of which we are up to the task.
“We will redouble our efforts because as an insider, I know what the problems are and we have already embarked on various initiatives by rehabilitating the basketball pitch.
“By the next three months, NISport will wear a new look and with some more funds, we will put more things in order. We are also ready to partner others to generate more funds,” he said.
Tidesports also reports that the House Committee on Sports led by its Chairman were led round the hostels, classrooms, library, gymnasium, the practice pitch and the sorry state of affairs left the committee members unimpressed.
Following the inspection, Osoba decried the poor state of NISport, adding that the foremost institute of sports in Africa needed more attention.
He added that the legislative arm of the government would look into a more practicable solution to giving the institute a facelift in order to return it back to its former state.
“The present state of NISport is saddening, we have had notable sportsmen and women graduated from this institution and others coming for their certification.
“Now, the institute looks like a ghost town, it doesnt look like what it used to be, so there is need to find a way of bringing it back to how it used to be.
“This institute should be a revenue generating one and there are ways of generating funds, the management should put on their thinking cap.
“If they generate the right funds and goes to the Single Treasury Account (TSA) it will be returned back to them, that is where we will come in as members of the house, he said.
Osoba said that the House Committee on Sports were on a fact-finding mission to the National Stadium Facility as part of its oversight function.
“We came to inspect the stadium, everyone is aware that the illegal structures have been dismantled and taken away. We want to see for ourselves what the place looks like now.
“Coming here is part of our oversight function, we have come around and see how the appropriated funds were spent in maintaining our sports facilities, he said
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor