Lagos – A Lagos lawmaker, Mr Oluyinka Ogundimu, has urged the Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalong, to restore Nigeria’s glory in field and track events alongside football.
Ogundimu said made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
The sports enthusiast said that sports had the capacity to enhance the socioeconomic development and security of the nation.
“The ministry of youth and sports is a very important ministry that can be used to curb incessant youths’ unrest all over the world.
“Our sports minister should go back to the drawing board and sit down with those that have the interest of sports at heart, not those that want to do business.
“He should study the models in all sports, not football alone. He should give attention to all field and track events.
“Sports have the capacity to engage our youths gainfully and direct their hearts away from crime,’’ he told NAN, saying sports could bring about social change.
“If there is anything for the government to develop these days of the multiple social challenges facing our dear nation, one of it is sports.
“I trekked severally from Ikeja to National Stadium and Onikan Stadium to watch football matches when Nigerian football was reigning.
“Football matches were interesting then, it pains when you watch your team lose because of the passion, everything about our teams affected us.
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“But all these have been killed because of selfish interest and greed. We cannot get it right as long as we continue to cut corners.
“What people are watching today is below their expectations and that is why most of our youths go for foreign leagues.’’
He urged the minister for focus more on the welfare of the players and coaches, stressing that their welfare should be paramount.
The lawmaker also tasked the minister to concentrate on the discovery of new talents to win laurels for the country. (NAN)