VOLLEYBALL: Dare tasks Federation on grassroot development

Oru Leonard

The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare has called on the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), to put up structures that will ensure the development of the game from the grassroots so as to ensure its sustenability.

The Minister gave the charge yesterday in his office in Abuja, when he received a delegation from the Federation International for Volleyball (FIVB), and Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB), led by the President, Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Mr. Musa Nimrod.

According to him, volleyball is one of the games that have grown exponentially since his assumption of office as Minister, and as such would need all the wherewithal to ensure the maintenance of the present tempo.

He urged the Federation therefore to develop more interest in the game in schools and colleges to ensure Nigeria is shot to the topmost category in International Volleyball.

“Work towards developing the game from the grassroots, schools, colleges and ensure Nigeria produces the volleyball teams and clubs that can compete favourably with other countries,” Dare said.

The Minister who also said volleyball is part of the nation’s DNA, opined that Nigeria is a sports loving country where government is ready to support all games to thrive for the harvest of talents and socio-economic development.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alh. Ismaila Abubakar assured that the Ministry is ready to join hands with the Volleyball Federation and other Federations to ensure the development of sports in the country.

Also speaking, the President, Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Mr. Musa Nimrod commended the present Administration for their contribution to the development of the game in Nigeria.

He assured that the Federation will do its best to ensure that Volleyball is given a pride of place in the country.

The delegation from the International Volleyball Federation(FIVB) was led by Mr Mushtaque Mohammed and included Hitesh Malhotra and multiple Olympic medalist and legend De Good Amauri Giba. The president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee(NOC), Engineer Habu Gumel who is an Executive Committee member of the International Volleyball Federation was also part of the visit.