Sport

Ogun SWAN Congratulates Remo Stars’ on Continental Qualification

By Web News 691

The Ogun State Chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, has congratulated the management and technical staff of Remo Stars Football Club, Ikenne, Ogun State for the club’s first-ever continental qualification.

SWAN, in a congratulatory letter, addressed to the club’s Chairman, Otunba Kunle Soname and jointly signed by its Chairman, Hakeem Akintunde Secretary, Michael-Azeez Ogunsiji said the team’s qualification for the CAF Confederations Cup was not by sheer luck, but the result of a dint of hard work, dedication, and commitment of both players, technical staff, and management of the club to redefine football management in Nigeria and put the state on the world map.

They noted that Remo Stars’ continental qualification is coming 35 years after the then Abiola Babes represented the state on the continent as the first Ogun state-based football club in 1987.

The association urged the players to continue to work with determination and motivation to maintain the momentum in the elite division of the Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL.

They expressed optimism that, Remo Stars’ success would motivate the state-owned Gateway United Football Club, Stormers FC of Abeokuta and Ijebu United in working hard next season and join the sky blue team in the elite division.

Olusegun Folarin

Sport

Government needs to provide an enabling environment for sports – Dr Alli

By Web News 687

Former Team Nigeria Captain, Dr Yusuf Alli has called on government at all levels to enact a policy that will make athletics compulsory for all primary and secondary school pupils.

Dr Alli made the call in while delivering a lecture entitled “The Downturn of Nigeria’s Athletics Fortunes” at the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN Week in Abeokuta.

The retired long jumper who is also the General Manager of Lagos City Marathon expressed worry over showing too much attention on the elite athletes at the expense of young and promising Nigerian athletes, said such trend must stop.

He said for Nigeria to return to the golden era, government must ensure the return of school sports from primary to university levels as well as ensure adequate facilities for the athletes to train with.

Dr Alli who also identified lack of funds as one of the reasons athletics had remained stagnant in country solicited the support of the stakeholders especially sports journalists towards the revival of the athletics fortune in the country.

In a remark, a board member, Federal Character Commission, Mr Abiodun Akinlade who was represented by a director in the commission, Mr Ademuyiwa Adeniran described sports as a veritable income-generating engagement that could contribute immensely to the growth of the nation’s economy.

Mr Akinlade said there was need to continue to remind the government of its roles at providing sports infrastructure, funding and regulatory framework that would engender an enabling environment for sports to flourish.

Earlier, the Ogun State Chairman, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Alhaji Hakeem Akintunde said the association would continue to engage key stakeholders in the sports sector in its efforts to develop sports in the country.

Olusegun Folarin