By Ifeanyi Uwagwu
Local Government Chairmen in the state have been urged to key into grassroots sports development to ensure that Delta remains the pillar of sports in the country.
This charge was given by the Chairman of Aniocha South Local Government Area, Pastor Jude Chukwunwike, when he played host to the member representing Delta North in the State Sports Commission, Hon Henrrientta Ehiabor, at the council headquarters, yesterday.
In her remarks, Hon Ehiabor mentioned that the visit was part of her efforts to promote grassroots development across Delta North Senatorial District to ensure that the district becomes the go-to area for world-class athletes in the state and the country.
Listing the many benefits of her programme, Ehiabor disclosed that it would help children remain in school while developing them into world-class athletes which would ensure material security for themselves and their families and also build the capacities of coaches who have remained inactive at the councils.
Pastor Chukwunwike praised Hon. Ehiabor for her enthusiasm for sports development, encouraging her to remain focused on her goals.
Promising to be a part of the programme, he used the opportunity to call on other Council Chairmen to ensure a departure from the last-minute approach of desperately fishing for talents from other areas.
“I must commend you for your laudable ideas and that is why I am calling on my colleagues across the state to key into this beautiful idea to ensure that we groom our athletes and train them from the cradle, instead of our usual fire-brigade approach, where we train athletes from other states and at the end they go back to represent their states of birth or sportsmen to naturalize for the country”, he said.
The Council Boss also reeled out some of his achievements in sports in the council, including the building of sporting facilities in several schools in the council area.
