Sports
THE Kwara State Government has pledged to tap into its potentials in swimming to prepare athletes for medals in subsequent National Sports Festival (NSF).
Miss Iyabo Banire, a Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Sunday.
Banire spoke on the sideline of the ongoing National Sports Festival in Benin.
She said that residents of the riverine areas of the state would be encouraged to key into the sporting event since the state has one of the best swimming pools in the country.
The official, who led the state contigents to the sports fiesta tagged Edo 2020, said swimming would soon be one of the events Kwara would be competing for in future competitions.
She expressed delight on the performance of Team Kwara at the festival, adding that government would do the needful to encourage its athletes and stop poaching.
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“By the grace of God, we are going to put up a strong report of some of the performances and we believe by the time we do that, the state government will be spurred to do more for some of these athletes.
“We have discovered that some of the athelets were being poached. When you look at other states, they give these athletes prizes and sponsor them both nationally and internationally,” she said.
She, however, called on various stakeholders to put in place stringent measures to curb poaching.
Banire also urged the state athletes to work harder to win more medals with a pledge that government would continue to provide enabling environment for them to succeed in their career.
NAN
– April 11, 2021 @ 15:30 GMT |
Tags: Edo 2020: Kwara set to harness potentials in swimming
