Dalung attributes exploits in sports to reforms

The Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung has attributed the recent successes recorded in basketball and wrestling to the ongoing sports reforms by the ministry.

Barrister Dalung made this known while congratulating the senior women’s basketball team D’Tigress, after they won the 2017 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket Championship in Mali on Sunday and Nigerian wrestlers just back from the World Championships in France.

D’Tigress won all their matches at the competition including a World Cup ticket to Spain next year while Nigerian wrestlers won a silver medal in the 55kg, qualified for a bronze medal match in the 63kg and also qualified for the quarterfinals in the Women’s 58kg.

“We congratulate D’Tigress, the technical crew and the entire management of the Nigeria Basketball Federation for winning the 2017 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket trophy.

You not only broke a 12-year-old draught but also won a ticket to the World Cup next year.

This cannot be ascribed to luck but weeks of hard work, planning and strategizing by the board, technical crew and the players.

We also applaud the wrestlers for winning silver at the World championship,” he said.

The Minister commended the players and wrestlers for truly exemplifying the true Nigerian spirit which always thrives in the face of adversity.

Dalung praised the team for making Nigeria proud adding that their victory was not by chance but as a result of well-articulated programmes by the NBBF and NWF boards.

“We are aware of the fact that the road to becoming the African Champions and booking a ticket to the World Cup was never easy.

The federal government salutes these brave girls who have written Nigeria’s name on the global map once again after 12 years,” he stated.

The Minister added that having started the due process of electing popular and passionate candidates into boards of various federations, Nigeria’s sports will be better for it.

“These successes we are recording are the products of the reforms. If you look at what is happening now, every sport has been gingered up.

This has been exemplified by the zeal and commitment of the new federations’ leadership.”

He assured that the team will be presented to His Excellency President Muhammadu at a date to be announced soon.

Barrister Dalung restated that the Ministry of Youth and Sports under his watch will continue to make policies to encourage private investments through transparent and committed leadership.

He concluded that if the real stakeholders with the passion to grow sports are put in charge of running the federations, the administrative structures of sports in Nigeria will be reconstructed for the benefit of sports development in the country.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Youth and Sports will officially receive the victorious D’Tigress in the Minister’s conference room, Federal Secretariat, Phase 11, Abuja at 3pm today.