One of the nation’s leading media houses, THE SUN, on Thursday extolled the efforts of the present administration of the Nigeria Football Federation, led by Amaju Melvin Pinnick, at the presentation of the letter of award to the NFF President as the Sports Personality of the Year.
At a simple but impressive ceremony at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the media giant’s Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Eric Osagie, made it clear that the award is usually presented to a sportsman or woman or an administrator “whose achievements during the period in review had elevated Nigeria sports to heights hitherto unknown”.
Osagie reeled out the on-field and off-field achievements of the Pinnick-led NFF, which swayed the Board of Editors: capacity-building programmes for referees, coaches and administrators; prioritization of the welfare of players and officials of the national teams; excellent policies that have improved and elevated the domestic League; qualification of Nigerian national teams for major international competitions; signing of an agreement with a global brand, NIKE, for the kitting of the national teams; successful campaigns of the national teams at various global and continental championships; FIFA and CAF elite courses for coaches and referees; and a lofty U-13 and U-15 youth programme determined to create a pool of talented footballers to feed the various national teams in the near future.
Osagie said: “THE SUN Awards have been on for the past 13 years, and over the years, we have done everything necessary to maintain its integrity. A lot of rigour goes into the selection process. Nominations are made and then each candidate is subject to scrutiny in a way that only the very best would emerge.
“THE SUN Awards is blind to ethnicity, religious or other base sentiments. It is merit that wins at the end of the day. We believe that as a country, we cannot continue to dwell on negatives. Those who have shown excellence and a spirit for innovation should be encouraged so that they can do much more.”
Responding, Pinnick said he was humbled by the honour, but hugely encouraged to continue unruffled in the task of working with other members of the NFF Board and Management in taking Nigeria football to new heights.
He said: “I want to dedicate this award to the Members of the NFF Executive Committee, Management and the Congress. They give me a lot of encouragement to keep going, even in the face of odds.
“I want to assure you that ourselves in the Board and Management are dedicated to doing even much more to herald a new dawn in the Nigeria game. Honours like this serve as tonic to keep going strong.”
THE SUN Awards Ceremony, the 13th edition, will hold in Lagos on February 20, 2016.