The A3 Foundation has emphasized the need for youths across the country to leverage on grassroots sports, saying this could in turn throw them to the lime light if harnessed properly.
Its President/Founder Ambassador Dr. Aisha Audu-Emeje, stated this during the update meeting of the hosting of 19th Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA) tagged “Nasarawa 2016”
According to Audu-Emeje, sports is a game changer and could be used to engage citizens particularly youths actively, considering the declining economy.
“Sports is a game changer and in our economy today we need to do everything we can to have everybody engaged in doing something. Sports is a peace formation for many nations and just the name of a great sportsman can change the environment no matter how tensed.
“We need to create jobs, a lot of activities go around sports festivals and in a community of education like the polytechnic we believe that a lot is needed and we have to have our youths come in either as spectators, partners even as athletics should be entrepreneurial in their mindset,” she said.
“For me, sports covers it all even doctors will participate in ensuring health status of athletes. There is nothing better than sports when we talk job creation so we cannot neglect sports in any level of education, I think sports is something that we must develop to win in this recession,” she added.
She assured that the 19th edition of NIPOGA would be the best, saying the earlier slated date for the games which was November has been extended to start from 27th April to 7th May 2017.
This she said would enable new students partake in the sports activities as a lot of the schools has gone to strikes and some of the participants would graduate soon.
“We have a structured social centre and priority will be on those who have participated on activities of the past, instead of these youths going into vices they should have entrepreneurship in mind like selling sporting items, having talk shows, selling books, autographs and so many other things devoid from alcohol,” she said.
Earlier, ex-celebrity footballer Ambassador John Fashanu, lauded the idea even as he called for serious attention to be paid to grassroots sports.
“This is lovely because every celebrity professional sports man started from grassroots level. The best footballers don’t come from the Senator’s house or the Presidency, they come from the grassroots. So, her excellency Aisha Audu-Emeje has given us a wonderful opportunity to come back into the grassroots and look for professional sportsmen and women; this is a dream come true,” he said.
Fashanu noted that sportsmen and women come from grassroots because they have the tenacity to make things work, adding that the time for change is here and things must be done correctly now.
He stressed that sports in Nigeria generally has to be revived, saying “it would be lovely if the government watches and give us tacit(invisible) support. We don’t need any direct participation or money per say from government, we are looking to raise money from well meaning Nigerians and I assure you there are many of them who would want to support this sports national day in Nasarawa state.
“Sports have declined but because the country has had one or two challenges we can’t blame anybody we have put the onus on ourselves to revive it. I am happy to say we had a good meeting with Governor Almakura of nasarawa state and he is championing this particular sports day in Nasarawa state.
Earlier, the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa and President, Nigeria Polytechnic Games (NIPOGA) Professor Shetimma Abdulkadir Saidu, expressed gratitude that Nasarwa poly is hosting the 19th edition of NIPOGA,
He described sports as an integral part of academic life, saying sports is good to keep the students healthy an refresh the minds of the youths.
“All work without play makes jack a dull boy. we are really prepared for the games but for the fact that the technical committee on the national level felt the need to extend the time a little so as to have a successful event,” he said.
