By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
Sports Stakeholders in Bauchi state have stressed the need for raw talent hunt for development which will in turn improve sporting activities in the State.
The stakeholders rose from a meeting preparatory to the forthcoming 2024 state sports festival with renew vigour for the state government to improve the entire sports architecture.
They suggested that the objectives can be achieved through talent hunt of players and athletes at the grassroots level as well as in the area of human capital development, sponsorship and private sector investments.
The sports administrators who attended the closing ceremony dwelled extensively on how to move the State forward through sporting activities in terms of financial support active participation and encouragement of the athletes.
The State Head of civil Service, Yahuza Haruna Adamu who was Chairman of the closing ceremony urged all participants across the Twenty local councils to make a case and be ready to contribute immensely after the refresher course and be prepared for the festival ahead.
He said that, “I creve your indulgence to move spots forward in Bauchi state. Today, history mandated on us to always remember with nostalgia, some Football clubs that made sports part and parcel of the people in their blood.”
He added that, “I want to urge state sports administrators to think along the line to improve sports activities beyond the state in order to excel across the country”
Haruna Bako, a former Sports Director in the State Sports Council said that the main aim of the gathering was to nurture the young Sports Directors in the local government areas to maturity.
According to him, “You are the masters in your areas, but this is what we have been discussing, problems and development of sports. We are not taking advantage of sports activities to thrive.”
He added that, political parties hardly have sports development in their plans, so there is a need to have a constitutional amendment, if not, we will continue to have problems in sports in the entire country.”
Haruna Bako advised the Commissioner to meet other stakeholders and talk about how the sports development would be mentioned clearly in the Nigerian constitution for the country to develop in sports generally
He lamented that Sports has been relagated especially in most secondary and primary schools which is negating the education system in sports curriculum.
He also noted that, lack of utilization of sports facilities in the state is a problem because they are being underutilized as well as lack of renumerations which are also major challenges.
In his remarks , the State Football Association Chairman, Pascal Patrick dwelled much in the area of sponsorship and mentoring sports administrators and teaming and managing the athletes from the grassroots, especially the area of structure which is very key and important, it is a duty of government to give a good structure to thrive, in sports
According to him, “We are equally here to find the solution to some of our sports problems, if we can go back to the structure, we most go back to grassroots also to develop in there.”
He emphasized that the state government should improve holistically in the area of sponsors because that’s the trend to achieve results everywhere in sports activities.
