Abia’s approach to sports development strategic — Commissioner

The Abia State Government has said its approach to sports development over the past three years has been deliberate and strategic, with a focus on grassroots talent discovery, athlete development and creating opportunities for young people to excel in various sporting disciplines.

The state Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Obilor Ananaba, stated this in Umuahia on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development to discuss the future of sports development in the state.

Ananaba said the government recognised that sustainable sports development could not be achieved overnight, stressing that the administration had continued to build a solid foundation through consistent investment and innovation.

He said, “We recognise that sustainable sports development is not achieved overnight. It is accomplished by taking one step at a time, building sporting initiatives, implementing innovative ideas, and creating opportunities for the gradual transformation of our sporting landscape.

“With the continued support and funding provided by the Abia State Government under the leadership of Governor Alex Otti, we have sustained sports development at the grassroots level and created pathways for young people to excel in sports and contribute positively to society.”

The commissioner said the stakeholders’ meeting was convened to review progress made so far, address existing challenges and set priorities for the future growth of sports in the state.

“We have focused on introducing young people across the state to a wide range of sporting activities, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to discover and develop his or her natural abilities,” he continued.

According to Ananaba, the government’s objective is to create an enabling environment for talent development across various sports, including boxing, athletics, badminton, volleyball, table tennis and wrestling.

He noted that the governor’s commitment to sports development had enabled the state to sponsor sporting activities, support athletes’ participation in competitions, strengthen grassroots programmes and provide platforms for talent discovery and development.

“Through these initiatives, we have built a strong foundation for future champions while promoting healthy lifestyles and teamwork among our youth.

“One of the concrete steps we have taken is to ensure that competitions are sponsored, talents are discovered and properly developed,” he added.

The commissioner said the planned formation of sports association boards would focus on key areas such as grassroots sports development, talent identification, training of athletes, coaches and officials, participation in competitions, partnerships with schools, communities and private organisations, as well as sponsorship, branding and fundraising strategies.

Earlier, the Director of Sports in the state, Obioma George, urged sports administrators and stakeholders to work together to advance sports development in Abia.

“If we all sincerely join hands to develop different sports, I can assure you that Abia will become an enviable state in sports development in Nigeria,” he stated further.

George also appealed to association chairmen and secretaries to intensify efforts to develop their various sports and help discover hidden talents across the state.

He further disclosed that Abia State would host the South-East Boxing Championship, with athletes from across the region already arriving for the competition.

“As we speak, all the boxers from the South-East have arrived in Abia State. The state government is hosting the South-East Boxing Championship, and the bouts will commence on Wednesday,” he concluded.