The highest sports authority in Nigeria, the National Sports Commission has thrown its weight behind the Nigerian Sports Award with promises to support the organisers in any way it can, to ensure that the laudable initiative is successful and sustained towards rewarding and recognizing excellence performance in sports.
This assurance was given on Monday, October 7, 2013 by the Director General, National Sports Commission Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye when the members of the award panel led by the panel chairman, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo paid him a courtesy visit in his office at the Abuja National Stadium Complex, Abuja.
Speaking during the courtesy visit, the Director General, National Sports Commission (NSC) Gbenga Elegbeleye described the award as a very good initiative, a form of reward and recognition for outstanding performance of athletes that will help to develop sports in Nigeria by promoting healthy competition among our athletes who will be looking forward to receiving the award.
Hon. Elegbeleye commended the organisers of the award for introducing the Sports Governor of the Year category of the award. He stressed that the category will not only encourage the Governor that emerge winner but also challenge other Governors to do more in area of sports development in their respective states.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the award panel for the Nigerian Sports Award, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo explained that the visit of the award panel members was to seek the support of the National Sports Commission for the award and to also formally notify and invite the DG, the Honourable Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and the Vice President, ahead of the November 26, event in Lagos.
Other members of the panel who made the visit alongside Ikeddy Isiguzo to the Director General’s office includes, the General Manager, Unmissable Incentives Limited, Mr. Kayode Idowu, the Managing Director, Mastersports International and a member of the award panel, Mr. Mitchel Obi, another member of the panel and ex- Nigerian athlete, Chief Mrs. Falilat Ogunkoya and the Chairman, Lagos state Chapter of the Sports Writers Association (SWAN) Mr. Fred Edoreh.
Earlier in the day, the team visited the Abuja office of the Chief Raymond Dokpesi owned African Independence Television (AIT) where they met with the Group Managing Director, Mr. Tony Akiotu and other top management staff to solicit partnership of the TV station for the coverage of the award on its expanding network and on the cable services- Daar Sat.
