The Director of Sports, Kogi Sports Council, Joel Abu, on Sunday said the state had drawn up a two-year development programme to harness budding talents at the grassroots.
Abu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that grassroots sports development was the most viable means through which sports could be revived in the country.
We should know by now that the grassroots will continue to be the bedrock of sports development.
As such our development will be uncertain if we as a sports-loving country continue to ignore the main cadre that can produce sports men and women of international repute.
We have given ourselves a two-year programme to groom talents from schools into world-class athletes,’’ he said.
Abu added that schools sports would continue to play a pivotal role in the nurturing of genuine budding talents, thereby curbing the incessant incidence of age falsification.
Most times the ages of athletes are in doubt, but when you focus on budding talents from schools, you are certain that their ages will be suitable for nurturing,’’ he said.
– NAN
