NIS Restates Commitment To Sports Devt

The management of Nigeria Institute of Sport (NIS) has restated its commitment towards producing competent sports managers and coaches for the development of sports in the country.

Officials of NIS gave the assurance in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the maiden NIS Students Week held at the NIS Sports Centre, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Lawrence Ndaks, the chief coach of NIS, told NAN that the institution had been in the business of producing world class sports managers and coaches who had contributed to the development of various sports in the country.

“We expect that by the time the students leave NIS, they would have become good managers, administrators and coaches, as good ambassadors of the institution.

“Testimonies abound about students who have appreciated our various training programmes that molded them into better managers.

“NIS has trained coaches that have produced gold medalists in boxing; I can say that the opportunities here are limitless.

“We have had great football coaches as our former students in the likes of Coach Danjuma, Ladan Bosso, Yemi Tella, among others,” he said.

On the activities at the maiden NIS Students Week, Ndaks said the participants impressed the management of the school.

“We are impressed with the performances of the students, which means that they (students) have been able to translate what they have been taught into practical in organising themselves to have this programme,” he said.

The Deputy Registrar (Academics/Student Affairs), Mr Chuks Okoro, said the curriculum of the school had been tailored towards producing the best hands for Nigeria’s sports development.

“NIS has a mandate to produce men of timbre and calibre for the development of sports in Nigeria through our various choice courses.

“NIS has gotten good mileage in producing sports management and coaches, we have produced notable sportsmen like Austin Eguavoen, Peter Rufai and Fanny Amun.

“NIS has gone a long way in ensuring that there is no dearth of personnel in sports management,” he said.

One of the sponsors of the NIS Students Week, Mr Obiora Maduakor, the Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of Sports Station and WinOn Sportswear Manufacturing Company, said the partnership with the NIS had been fruitful.

“We are happy to be part of this great event because of the place of NIS in the history of development of sports in Nigeria.

“Our organisation has been supporting sporting activities because for me, it is a passion, what I freely want to do without expecting anything in return.

“We have been able to support the students because we believe in them and we expect that they will in turn take sports to the next level that we so desire,” he said.

The president of NIS students, Andrew Enegbeta, said the NIS Students Sports Week had lived up to its expectations.

“We have had a series of programmes, while over 300 students of the institution have participated in about 15 different sports in the annual Students’ Week,” he said.

NAN reports that the Students’ Sports Week held at the NIS Sports ground, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

NIS students, both Higher Diploma and Diploma, participated in activities such as football, basketball, tennis, table tennis, badminton, karate, chess, scrabble, among others, in the three-day Students’ Sports Week.

Among the highlights of the events at the Student Week was the final football match between Advance Diploma 1 and 2.

At the end of 90 minutes, Advance Diploma 1 defeated Advance Diploma 2 by a lone goal.

The third place match was also won by Staff of NIS who defeated the Higher Diploma 4-2 in a match played at the NIS mini stadium, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. (NAN)