31st December, 2012
In its bid to forestall a recurrence of the misfortune that befell Team Nigeria at the last Summer Olympics held in London, the National Sports Commission, NSC has concluded arrangements to stage a National U-17 Games, where budding talents would be discovered.
The Games, which is expected to make his debut next July, would be used as an avenue by the NSC to unearth secondary school talents at a tender age, so they can represent the country in international competitions.
Julius Ogunro, Personal Assistant to the Chairman of NSC, Bolaji Abudullahi, in a telephone interview, disclosed that the NSC is looking at holding the sports meet in July because “that is when secondary schools would be on long vacations”.
Ogunro hinted that the NSC is still working on the modalities to make the event a success, but stated that they are yet to arrive at the state that would host.
He continued that apart from discovering raw talents at a tender age, the Games are also aimed at taking sports back to the schools nationwide.
According to him “The National U-17 Games will contribute to the development of the sporting federations, with the annual production of raw talents. It would also provide more time to groom athletes with potentials to be world champions”.
It would be recalled that the National Sports Festival has come under serious criticisms, where sports analysts and administrators argued that the athletes discovered are at disadvantage because of their ages and they may not have enough time before they wear out.
—Adebobola Alawode