Ogun begins grassroots development, talent hunt

The Ogun State government has put attractive incentives in place to ensure its star athletes are not poached by other states, as has been the practise in recent times. The state’s Ministry of Youths and Sports has also embarked on aggressive grassroots sports development with the aim of discovering and nurturing new talents in athletics, table tennis and football, among others.

The state’s Sports Commissioner, Mr. Afolabi Afuape told journalists in Abeokuta on Tuesday that the Sports Trust Fund Development Bill, which is before the State’s House of Assembly, would soon be passed, adding that the Bill, when passed into law, would give room for private individuals to invest in sports.

The commissioner, who spoke on the state of sports in the state, said, “Sports have gone scientific and we must move with the time.”Afuape disclosed that the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) National Sports Competition and the State’s higher institutions mini-festival as some of the major events lined up to hold in the state within the year, disclosing that the NMA Games is scheduled to hold in Abeokuta on Saturday, February 24.

The commissioner decried a situation where after some states had discovered talents and nurtured them to maturity, another state would poach them without paying any compensation. He called for a law to halt the trend.He also revealed that efforts were on going to upgrade the MKO Abiola and Muda Lawal Stadia in Abeokuta to international standards.