By Ifeanyi Uwagwu
Local Government Chairmen of Ndokwa West, Oshimili South, Oshimili North and Aniocha North, all in Delta North Senatorial District have pledged their commitment to grassroots sports development within the district.
They gave their assurances when the member representing the district in the State Sports Commission, Hon Henrrireta Ehiabor paid them courtesy calls to intimate them with her vision for reviving grassroots sports in the district.
Addressing the Chairmen, Hon Ehiabor mentioned the urgent need to revive grassroots sports to ensure that the State has a wider talent pool to pick word class athletes that would represent the State for a long time and sustain the state’s reputation as the number one sporting hub in the nation.
According to Ehiabor, targeting pupils still in primary and secondary schools, would not only increase the potential number of talents to harness, but would also ensure that the pupils remain in school instead of engaging in truancy and other unhealthy ventures, while revealing several other gains of her vision.
“By the time facilities are constructed in these schools, the pupils would have renewed enthusiasm to come to school and remain in school because they want to partake in these sporting activities. This would also help coaches that have been redundant in the councils and put them back to work by training the children to become future champions and the joy of every coach is to produce champions”, she said.
In his remarks, the Ndokwa West Local Government Boss, Chief Obi Nzete, assured Hon Ehiabor of his willingness to collaborate with the State Sports Commission to continue to ensure that the State remains the undisputed king of sports in the country.
Similarly, the bosses of Oshimili South and North, Hon Kelvin Ezenyili and Hon Innocent Esewezie mentioned that they were ready to collaborate with Hon Ehiabor whenever the blueprint for the programme is ready to be implemented.
Hon. Bazim Chinye, the Chairman of Aniocha North Local Government Area, while describing Hon Ehiabor as a square peg in a square hole and pledging commitment of the council, revealed that the vision of sports development aligns perfectly with that of the Local Government, recalling that the council is on the verge of sending six footballers that were recently discovered in area to Germany to further their footballing careers.
