Sports development minister, Senator John Owan Enoh, has pledged support for the Federation of African University Games (FASU),slated to take place in Nigeria.
Speaking while receiving a delegation of the organizing committee for the games who paid him a courtesy visit yesterday in his office, Abuja, Enoh assured them that the ministry will do everything within its power to ensure that the games is successfully hosted by the country.
Decrying the present state of NUGA games, he advised the committee to look inwards and take a critical look at NUGA to find out what made it such a huge success in the past.
Senator Owan Enoh who assured the delegation of the willingness of the ministry to avail the Nigerian team the use of its facilities observed that the existence and use of high performance centres is the distinguishing factor that separates countries who excel from those who do not, adding that sports should be cooperative and collaborative at local, sub- national and national levels.
The Minister expressed the determination of the Ministry under his leadership to get the country to return to school sports because of the immense benefits to the country.
He assured that after the ongoing Paralympic Games, he will lead a delegation of the ministry to pay an official visit to his counterpart in the Education Ministry to explore ways both ministries could forge a common ground for the development of school sports.
Earlier, the president and Chairman of the organizing committee of FISU Games , Dr. Mohammed Bawa lauded the grass roots driven vision of the minister in sports administration.
He appealed to the Minister to avail the Nigerian team for the games the necessary equipment for training which he emphasized would give them the critical experience that will prepare them for the games and make them competitive. Dr. Bawa, who observed that
the mandatory visa fee of $200 dollars was too high, appealed to the minister to liaise with his counterpart in the Ministry of Interior to grant a waiver for students. Such a waiver, he said, would boost mass participation of students from various African countries.
