My Job As Youth And Sports Minister Is Done. I’m Ready To Move On – Sunday Dare
Oru Leonard
Youths in Nigeria and the country’s sports sector should be bracing up for a new minister, or administrative pointman, when the reign of Chief Sunday Dare comes to a glorious end, on May 29, 2023.
Chief Dare made the disclosure on Saturday, while fielding questions on Sports Salsa, a live radio program, on Kennis FM, anchored by veteran Sports Journalist, Mitchel Obi.
“My job is done as sports minister; I have put in my best and I am ready to move on,” Sunday Dare declared.
He said in over three years and a half of his stewardship as Youth and Sports minister, he worked daily and round the clock, with a view to repositioning the ministry on the path of growth and sustainability.
“By the time I’m gone, nobody would say again that the sports ministry is a child’s play. Rather, Sports in Nigeria will from now on, be seen as a big business. One of the highpoints of my tenure was the reclassification of Sports as business and the enactment of the Sports Industry Policy (SIP) which of course, is a major achievement”.
The Sports Minister added that he will also be remembered for some transformative initiatives like, Adopt-an-Athlete and Adopt-a-Pitch, programmes, which has helped immensely in discovering and improving talents and rehabilitating Sports Infrastructures in the country.
The improved Welfare policy for elite athletes in particular, saw Team Nigeria track and field stars like Oluwatobi Amusan, Ese Brume, Blessing Oborodudu achieve historic podium successes at the Olympic Games in Japan, World Athletics Championships in Eugene Oregon USA, and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
On the other hand, the Main Bowl and Practice pitch 1 of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, National Stadium in Surulere Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo Stadium Ibadan, Daura Mini Stadium in Katsina state, got befitting rehabilitation after being adopted by some well meaning individuals and organisations.
While the adopt a pitch programme has seen the rehabilitation of key sporting infrastructure in the country. The adopt an athlete and improved welfare packages for the nation’s athletes were key in Team Nigeria’s excellent outings at the All African Games in Morocco, Africa youth game in Kenya which happens to be our best record at the junior youth championships held in Kenya. Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and the World Athletics Championships in Eugene Oregon, USA.
