Senator David Mark, the former President of the Red Chambers of the National Assembly, has praised the initiators of the Nigeria Olympic Fund, saying: “You will remove the international shame of either barren medals or praying and fasting for one paltry bronze in the Olympics.”
Senator Mark made the remark when he hosted the management of the Nigeria Olympic Fund in his Abuja home.
He said: “At a point, some of us have almost lost all interests in Nigerian sports.
“Football is no better.
“In fact, I don’t watch the senior national team, the Super Eagles, they will just give you hypertension.
“I follow the cadet national teams and especially the women national teams.
“With this initiative, I have hope in the future of this nation in international sports.
“With the elite athlete programme for the 90 athletes in five sports, if you people follow the processes carefully as you analysed, then Nigerians will have so much to celebrate in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
“This is one project that every Nigerian should identify with.
“It is my prayer that your team will have the courage and temerity to hold unto these vision.
“You will face pressures and animosity as you go, but you must be ahead of those who the project will make into cost.
“Left to me, this is the future of Nigerian sports.
“If this project is carefully followed and delivered, you can imagine the number of youths that would be gainfully occupied and even the number of employment, both direct and indirect, that would be created.
“Sports is one industry which if well harnessed and with our population, it can be bigger than the oil industry.
“Nigeria is too blessed not to be a global leader in sports.
“At my personal level, I will be glad to watch some of the children that will come out of your initiatives.
“I promise to support your activities in the best ways I can.
“I also pray that Corporate Nigeria will quickly see where you are going and they key in.”
In the team that visited Senator Mark were the CEO, Olajide Fashikun; the Executive Director (Technical), Chief Mary Onyali; Messrs Fatai Adeshina, Ibrahim Omale, Collins Ajibola; and Sandra Onyekwere amongst others.
Trending
- Taxing hunger in Iregba, by Lasisi Olagunju
- Rivers Hoopers finish BAL with best team record despite loss
- NNPC E&P, NOSL hit first oil in OML 13
- Cybersecurity Levy: Killing the masses softly, by Kazeem Akintunde
- AMVCA: My outfit cost $100,000 – BBNaija’s Tacha + Photos
- How Wike frustrated Peter Obi out of PDP – Atiku’s spokesman
- Tinubu won’t take sides in Rivers crisis – Presidency
- Three-year-old boy inside vehicle stolen in Ogun found in Lagos