Executive Director representing Esan Central in Edo State Sports Commission, Hon.
<span;>Anthony Ikuenobe, has called on Federal and State governments to invest hugely in sports development.
In a chat with this reporter, Barrister Ikuenobe expressed shock over the alarming rate of crime and criminalities in Nigeria, as he called on governments at all levels to invest massively in Sports development, adding that it will help to check crime and criminality in the society.
While pouring encomiums on Edo State governor Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the Executive Chairman of Edo State commission Hon. Amadin Enabulele for their leadership qualities, he urged Edo sports men and women to show total commitment to their vision of becoming global figures in sports.
On the challenges faced by the board he said: “Yes the challenges are there, but is been very interesting, considering the team we have on the sports commission board, especially the Executive Chairman Hon. Enabulele, who is very committed and result oriented .
He has so much energy and passion for the job, so it has made the job generally easier for us, even when we are not coming from the sports background. I must tell you that his love and passion covers the inadequacies we would have had.”
”Again as an Executive board member representing Edo Central constituency in the sports commission, what I’m battling with now is how to change the mindset of our youths towards sports.
We still have it in rural areas that when a child is interested in sports, parents see such a child as a drop out. We are trying now to organize a tour at the board level, the memo is already before the governor.
We want to do sports festival in the five local government areas to fish out raw talents and sensitize them on the importance of sports. Once we have the governor’s approval, we would organize athletics meet for primary and secondary schools across the local government areas.”
“I know football is what everybody is crazy about, unknown to them that other sports are also very viable. For example, in Ujuele Secondary School, Ekpoma, we have a cricket pitch there. And I can tell you that the players there are doing very well, because we have competent cricket coaches in that school. Do you know that over 40% of our national team players especially U-20 cricket players are from Ekpoma.
Even the national team captain is from there. There is hardly any country those players have not travel to. So you can see the exposure it has given to them. Okpebholo’s government is ready to change the narrative in sports,
