Nigerians in privileged positions have been advised to emulate the bold efforts of the Senator representing Bayelsa West in the National Assembly, Senator Seriake Dickson, in the area of sports development.
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, Chairman Senate Committee on Youths and Sport, Senator Obinna Ogba, and the leadership of the Nigerian Wrestling Federation, gave the advice on Wednesday during the unveiling of the 2021 edition of the Nanaye Dickson Traditional Wrestling Competition in Abuja.
The Nanaye Dickson Traditional Wrestling Tournament is an annual sporting event in honour of the memory of Senator Dickson’s late father, a community leader, an unbeaten wrestling champion and promoter of the game in his days.
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The Minister said that it is undeniable that Senator Dickson is a lover of sports and its development while as governor of Bayelsa State and now as a Senator.
He called on senators and other lawmakers to emulate the bold contributions of Senator Dickson to the development of sports in the country.
Dare also urged the members of the National Assembly to identify and focus on the development of a particular sport that has a prevalence of talents in their respective areas in order to produce a new generation of talented athletes in the country.
He recalled how the Federal Government adopted the annual wrestling classic initiated by Senator Dickson as a national event, stressing that the government would take a cue from the Senator in the area of recognising and identifying sports legends for honour in the country.
In his remarks, Senator Dickson said that the event is deliberately designed to target Bayelsa youths in the bid to promote grassroots Ijaw traditional wrestling, culture, as well as to serve as a talent hunt for the youths of the state.
He disclosed that his interest in sports and the commitment to its development remain the same even after his administration which built a sports academy, sponsored a football tournament known as the Restoration Cup for eight years and the Nanaye Dickson Wrestling Classic which was adopted by the Federal Ministry of Sports.
He further said that the event was organized to honour Bayelsa wrestlers who dominate the sport not only in Nigeria but also on the African continent, stressing that Bayelsa has the highest concentration of wrestling champions.
According to Senator Dickson, the Henry Seriake Foundation, which unveiled the Nanaye Dickson Wrestling Tournament, is also the sponsors of the ongoing community-based grassroots football competition, the Ofuruma Pepe Cup which involves 100 teams and 1000 young boys.
The Chairman of the occasion and Chairman, House Committee on Youths and Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba, said no money invested in sports development would be a waste.
He said that he was not surprised that the former governor decided to sustain his interest and investment in sports development even after leaving office because ‘sports investment means investing on one’s self and the youths.’
On his part, the Chairman, Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, and the first Governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete Spiff, commended Dickson for the initiative to promote wrestling which he described as the joy of the Ijaw man.
The President of the Wrestling Federation, Mr Daniel Igali, who was represented by the Vice President, Mr Christopher Amkpila, also commended the Senator for his unwavering support for the development of sports in the country.
The high point of the event was the presentation of bank drafts of N2 million to Bayelsa-born Olympic Silver medalist, Miss Blessing Oborodudu and N500,000 to her Coach, Mr Victor Kodei.
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