Dalung Inaugurates Nigeria Hospitality House Project Committee.

The Nigeria Hospitality House Project Committee for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio has been inaugurated.

On the occasion, the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung said that the reduction of the previously inaugurated 15 man committee to 7 was due to compelling financial challenges and the need to re-strategise on the efficient use of human and financial resources in order to achieve better results.

Barrister Dalung charged the committee to identify and recommend a suitable venue within proximity to the games village in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, solicit sponsorship locally and internationally and help facilitate a seamless movement of participants and materials such as artifacts, arts, crafts and solid mineral investment equipment.

" The committee is to also source and make available to Nigerian sports enthusiasts, relevant information, games tickets, event timing and direction to the games venues.

As government is desirous of deriving multi purpose benefits from the fiesta, you're to explore the tourism potentials and other investment opportunities in agriculture, solid minerals, oil and gas and harness the prospects of our huge population. You will be expected to organize interactive sessions, cocktails, social and gala nights that depict Nigeria's economic potentials and showcase the country's cultural heritage through its arts, music, fashion, crafts and delicacies".

In his acceptance speech, the Chairman and Project co-ordinator Alhaji Mohammed B. Abdullahi promised that the committee will portray Nigeria at the global level. Abdullahi noted that sports is a tool for social integration, peace and unity and assured the minister that a lot of investments will be brought to the country by the committee.

" We will also carry along the states who have minerals to display to the international world to attract investors. It is a task that must be accomplished" Abdullahi promised".

The President Nigeria Olympic Committee Engineer Habu Gumel who was also at the inauguration promised to support the committee locally and internationally to ensure that they succeed in their assignment. " Our doors are open. You're welcome anytime for advice.

The Nigeria Olympic Committee will give you all the support. Our athletes are already preparing for the games and by the grace of God, we are going to make this country proud. We are working hard to get medals in Rio and present them to the President".

The re-constituted committee has Alhaji Mohammed B. Abdullahi as Chairman and project coordinator while the Nigeria Olympic Committee will be represented by Hon. Bappa A. Missau. Other members of the committee include Shamma Makpa, a Sports Officer at the National Sports Commission, Okechukwu Nebo, Head of Chancery, Nigerian Embassy in Brazil and three ministerial nominees, Alhaji Bala Usman, Tar Ukoh and Mrs Adeshola Ndu.

NSC Yet To Pay Athletes Allowance.

 

 

Nigeria has won her first medal in the ongoing 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the weightlifting event through Nkechi Opara in the forty- eight kilogramme in the event decided today at the Clyde auditorium.

Opara, who missed an attempt out six attempts in the snatch, clean and jerk, won a bronze medal while Mirabai Chanu Saikhom of India got the Silver medal.

Sanjita Khumukcham, who began weightlifting in 2006, in Manipur, India, won a Gold medal.

Her most memorable sporting achievement was at the 2011 Asian Championships in Tongling, China.

However, another Nigerian weightlifter, Rasaq Tanimowo, also stand the chance of winning a medal after he top his Group B with two hundred and fifty- two points in the snatch, clean and jerk in the fifty - six kilogramme.

Officials Nigeria Weightlifting Federation are waiting for the second phase of the fifty- six kilogramme to determinate the position of Rasaq Tanimowo on the medals table.

While speaking, Tanimowo, said the weather condition in Scotland contributed immensely to his inability to perform better as he claimed that he deserve to win a gold medal based on his level of preparation and determination to make Nigeria proud at the Games.

The weightlifter, who is optimistic of winning a medal,said the failure of the National Sports Commission of six months training camp could jeopardise their chances of winning many laurels at the Games, adding that Ghanaian weightlifters were in London, England, for a traing tour ahead of the Games.

Lagos State Is a Pace Setter, Yakmut Alhassan

The National Sports Commission, NSC, has commended the Lagos State government for setting the pace and platform that produce talents for future international competitions.

"This is the second edition and the NSC is sending its a representative because this is the platform that produces talent for future international event and it cannot be taken lightly. "Lagos has set the pace for doing it rightly and from what we have seen so far, some records of last year events have been broken". 

"Hence the reason the NSC is identify with the success story. NSC is here to take inventory of the discovered athletes because after the event , the discovered ones becomes national athletes".

Its Director of Grassroot Sports, Yakmut Al Hassan, who was among the special guests at the final of Premier Lotto Lagos Athletics Championship, who notices that records set at the maiden edition had been broken, said the commission would take inventory of discovered athletes at the competition.

"The High Performance programme of NSC initiated last year is responsible for the insurance that the athletes are monitored and supported in tertiary education because NSCdo not want to loss sight of the two, both excellence in sports and education have to be carried along".

He said the NSC through the high performance programme would be responsible for the discovered athletes who graduated from the secondary schools to tertiary institutions, adding that the commission would not loss the sight of excellence in sports and education.

"Five states in Nigeria are doing well, Lagos, Delta, Anambra and Ogun states are having genuine sports development proframs but five out of 36 is a poor performance, thus the NSCis appealing to other 31 states in order to harness enormous talents we have in the country"

Alhassan, explained that the transition between the immediate past Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and the present minister of Sports, Tanmuno Dangogo would be very easy because the commission’s Director General, Gbenga Elegbeleye  is a strong believer of grassroot programme, adding that the present Minister of Sports, Tamuno Dangogo would found it easy to continue with the laudable grassroot sports programme.

He identified Lagos , Delta, Cross River, Ogun  and Anambra states for establishing genuine sports developmental programme, stressing that the NSC would appeal to other states to begin a structured grassroot programme to harness enormous talent abound in Nigeria.

 

NSC’s Athletes Hostel Ready For Commissioning.

The Director of Facility of National Sports Commission, Ibrahim Shehu, says the newly constructed athletes’ hostel by the National Sports Commission, NSC is ready for commissioning.

Shehu, who explained that the hostel which is the first of its kind in West Africa and built purposely for the comfort and luxury of athletes, said the facility was built to serve the NSC’s elite athletes developmental programmes.

 “This hostel,” said Shehu, “is the first of its kind and built purposely for the comfort and luxury of athletes. “It has a total of 48 rooms, all en-suite, with provision for kitchen and dining to serve at least 150 people.

It also has a well-stock medical outpost and sickbay.“We have everything in place, including the furnishing. It is in fact, ready for immediate use.”

The facility which will accommodate  athletes for the High Performance System, a science –based support system for elite athletes, has a total of 48 rooms,with provision for kitchen and dining to serve at least 150 people.

Shehu, stated that the NSC had drawn up a programme for the adequate maintenance of the facility, which is located in the National Stadium, Abuja.

 He commended the Honourable Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi for his foresight in initiating the project and for establishing the first High Performance System in the whole of West Africa.