Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has charged the Ministry of Sports Development to commence the process of admitting the first batch of students in readiness for the take off of the State Sports Academy at Asoama in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.
He also directed the ministry to source for experts that would train the students in areas where the State have comparative advantage such as swimming, wrestling and other combat sports as well as coach them on the academic aspects of sports development.
Governor Dickson, who gave the charge shortly after participating in the Monthly Jogging Exercise at the Peace Park Yenagoa, gave Mutari Abdullahi, from Sokoto State, a wushe Kunfu practitioner, automatic admission into the academy.
The Governor said he was hopeful that the academy would be commissioned by April this year and expressed delight over the pace of work at the project site, stating that in no distant time the state would begin to produce champions that would win laurels for the State and country as a whole.
“The Sports Commissioner will set up a committee within one month to scout for young people that are good in swimming, wrestling and other aspects of sports and get experts to coach them.
“We want them to get the best of academics and also exposure to competitive sports and beyond the physical training, we want them to study and understand the academic aspect of sports development. We do not want to produce sports champions who are ignorant of the principles and rules, because that academy project is very dear to our heart.”
He therefore urged the youths not to be distracted but avail themselves of Government’s programmes for the betterment of their lives and promote healthy living.
Speaking, the Commissioner for Sports Development, Chief Mitema Obodor, said Government has addressed two major challenges in the sports sector, which are the resuscitation of about 25 sporting associations and provision of facilities.
He noted that Governor Dickson has approved rehabilitation of facilities and change of the turf at the Samson Siasia Sports Stadium to enable the State host premiership and continental matches.
Chief Obodor also intimated the Governor of the qualification of the State owned Football Club, Bayelsa United for the 2014 CAF confederations cup competition.
Assuring the Governor that the State’s athletes would excel at this year’s National sports festival in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, he stressed the need for the construction of a standard stadium, as 75 hectares of land was already available for the project.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State
17/02/2014
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