Niger pushes for young talents via grassroots sports – Commission

The Niger State Sports Commission has declared that the commission is ready to harvest the young talents that abound the state through grassroots sports.

The Commission made this known when it announced the establishment of the Grassroot Sports Department to fastrack the discovery of young talents in the state.

Speaking during a one-day training in “Sports Journalism as a Tool for Development, Unity, and Social Change,” organised by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, the Chairman of the Commission, Comrade Danjuma Masu explained that the Niger State chapter is in collaboration with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria North Central.

Masu, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Niger State Sports Commission, Baba Sheshi disclosed that approval for the creation of Grassroot Sports Department was targeted at expanding the Commission’s drive to bringing sports nearer to the people so as to achieve the desired objectives of catching them young at the grassroots level for maximum benefit.

“Grassroots sports is one of the ways we can catch them young in sports in the state. We have created the department, and we will ensure that our dragnet will be in all the 25 local government areas of the state to ensure that no child is left out,” Masu promised.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Nexter Radio who doubles as the Zonal Representative of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria, North Central, Mohammed Nma Kolo, and who was represented by the Manager News Nexter Radio, Nma Maku, assured members of the Niger State  SWAN of his continued support for sports development in the state at all times.

“Sports will not suffer or be neglected in this state. We have great potentials to help Nigeria win laurels in sports globally and I pledge to continue to give my support to sports at all times and to ensure that we take our rightful place in the nation’s sports,” Nma Kolo assured the team.

Also, the Chairman of the Niger State Sports Writers Association of Nigeria Comrade Alhassan Kutigi, disclosed that the aim of the current SWAN Exco is to make the union more vibrant and result oriented by reviving sporting activities through an accountable and a transparent process even as he assured members of their resolve not to disappoint them.

Similarly, the state Chairman of the Niger State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists Comrade Abu Nmodu, who was represented his Vice Chairman Comrade Uriah Gana, commended SWAN for organising the training session and implored participants to put into practice all they learnt for the overall development of SWAN.

An ex-North Central SWAN Zonal Secretary and Ex Officio, Comrade Abu Hassan, who reminded sports administrators in Niger State that sports is a media event pointed out that without the “media there will be no sports” and thus called on the stakehokders  to as a matter of urgency support members of SWAN to thrive.

Meanwhile, the guest lecturer Pastor Dan Amasigha who spoke on the theme: “From Headlines to Nation-building: Using Sports Journalism as a Tool for Development, Unity and Social Change, reminded the members of the enormous work of reporting sports in the state.

The former SWAN Chairman and Sole Administrator of Niger state, said the role of Sports Journalists has expanded in the 21st century, highlighting that sports is now used as an instrument of social cohession to drive social change.

“Sports is a tool for shaping public opinion, promoting national value, stimulating economic growth, building global image and exposing corruption among others,” he declared.