The Niger State Government has warned its athletes for the forthcoming National Sports Festival scheduled to hold in Asaba, Delta State, to shun drugs and be morally upright during the event.
The government gave the warning through the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Hon. Yusuf Suleiman, while declaring open a training camp exercise for the state athletes for the festival in Minna.
He stated, “Stay away from drugs because it will not give you any advantage rather, it will harm and hinder your development in your respective sports.
“Make use of this opportunity to get yourself properly prepared for this outing. Try and make this camping exercise a personal development programme for yourself and the state to make us proud.”
The commissioner also told the athletes that funds for the camping were sourced outside the state government pocket, hence the need to appreciate the little camping allowances being given to them.
He said, “for lack of funds we decided to make it an open camp. where each athletes will be given daily allowance of N2000, while the coaches will be given N3000 to take care of their transportation and some other logistics. The training will be morning and evening session, and myself and other management staff of the ministry will create time to go around the training venues to see to the welfare of athletes.”
Suleiman also assured the athletes that the state Governor would interact with them and give his blessings before their departure for the festival, saying they were already making arrangements for that.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Comrade Yunusa D. Tanimu, in his address, said the ministry decided to organize the camping programme so as to move away from the former practice of going to national events without the usual camping exercise for athletes.
One of the athletes, Femi Tunji, who will be participating in the state’s handball event, thanked the commissioner and other management staff of the ministry for their efforts to ensure the state contingent participated in the sports fiesta.
Sports Festival: Niger govt warns contingent against drug use
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