The Federal Government will explore all possible avenues for more youth participation in sports with a view of empowering them to become self-employed.
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said this when he received the Executive Director of Hand-To-Hand Sports Federation of Moscow, Sorgai Poroshin.
Mohammed Manga, Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, said in a statement on Friday in Abuja that the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ismaila Abubakar, received Poroshin on Dare’s behalf.
“This move is in line with the present administration’s policy thrust which is geared towards making the teeming Nigerian youth entrepreneurial.
”Also, it will make the youths self-reliant and employable,” Dare was quoted as saying.
“The ministry will put up workable modalities which will make Nigeria not to only key into programmes by Hand-To-Hand Sports but also open up more doors for our youths’ involvement in the various fields of sports worldwide,” he added.
Dare urged Nigerian youth to keep themselves abreast of news about the various policies, programmes and initiatives of the present administration.
He said this would enable them to take advantage of every available opportunity to better their lives.
Earlier, Poroshin had said that he was in the ministry to introduce the hand-to-hand game to the country.
He said the sport had been in existence in the past 16 years and has 38 countries on its membership list.
“The countries include Ghana, and there is the need for Nigeria to see the possibility of keying into it in view of its position as the giant of Africa.
“Nigeria’s acceptance of the game will further open a new horizon for the country’s youths to make their mark in the group of sports-loving countries,” Poroshin added.
NAN
