The Ogbomoso-born Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, on Friday in Abuja pledged to revamp the Principal’s Cup and Headmaster’s Cup competitions in the secondary and primary schools respectively.
Sunday Dare Dare said this would be part of the renewed bid by the Youths and Sports Development to deepen the development of sports at the grassroots.
The minister made the pledge when officials of the National Youth Games (NYG) and Nigerian Tulip International School in Abuja paid him a courtesy visit.
He said his ministry would be working closely with the Federal Ministry of Education to repackage and re-launch the two competitions as part of plans to mix sports and education, especially at the grassroots. “The competition will involve primary and secondary schools across the country with the aim to grow and nurture a new generation of athletes that will take over from the older ones.’’
Teacher allegedly rapes JSS1 student in Benue The minister also said arrangements had been concluded with some private schools to sponsor athletes recently discovered at the 5th NYG held in Ilorin in September.
“Nigerian Tulip International School is partnering with the ministry to give the athletes 100 per cent scholarship for their secondary school education,” he said.
Dare said the ministry has also launched a campaign titled “Adopt an Athlete”, which is targeted at individuals and corporate bodies adopting a number of athletes and training them.
The Vice-Principal (Academics) of Nigerian Tulip International School, Bob Ushie, in his remarks, thanked the minister for “coming to turn around sports in the country’’.
Ushie said the school thought it wise to develop students in education and sports in order to have well-rounded youths who could win laurels for Nigeria in the future. No less than 25 kids discovered from the last NYG will be given full scholarship in the school.
(NAN).
