A catalogue of records of Nigeria’s achievement in sports was launched on Tuesday at the Exhibition Pavilion and Events Center in Abuja.
The book, titled: “Nigeria Sports Book of Records 1884-2017,” is a 274 paged compendium, which chronicles the origin, rules, athletes, administration and general business of sports in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, commended the author of the book, Nicholas Kwanta, for painstakingly compiling events that took place in Nigeria’s sporting history from 1884 to 2017.
Dalung described the book as historic following the process and procedures taken into consideration to bring to fore all the sporting records of the past.
He said: “The Nigeria Sports Book of Records, artistically, has been documented through rigorous and systematic research to posit the numerous sports, with a view to educating the reader on how, when and where various sports began.
“The book is a concise expose on various national and international sports with regards to their origin and present day roles in harnessing the creative energies of our youths and other members of the society, even as it generates employment and fosters peace building.
“It would also serve as a document that would help us to gauge, not only how we fared in sports but how far in our journey we have gone.”
The author, Nicholas Kwanta, expressed delight in the book launch, stating that after several years of hard work and sleepless nights, the book is finally on the stands.
He said: “First, I thank the Almighty God for making this day a reality. I thank the Honourable Minister and the Permanent Secretary for their contributions in ensuring that this book was officially launched today.
“I did my National Youth Service at the National Sports Commission in 1997/1998 and that was when the idea to write a book on Nigerian sports was conceived. Ever since, I consistently worked on this publication for 10 years and today’s launch is a dream come true.”