30032019 - Appointments‘ll be on merits, national spread — Buhari

46 — SATURDAY Vanguard, MARCH 30, 2019
National Institute for Sports:
Bringing back
good old days
By Jacob Ajom
THURSDAY 21 March, 2019
was a special day in the life
of Nigeria’s premier sports
institute, the National Institute for
Sports. In it’s 25 years of
existence, the institute on that day
performed its 7 th Convocation, the
first since 2005. 1,500 students
were conferred with certificates,
diplomas and higher diplomas on
the occasion. It was an event that
restored hope in both the
graduands and the students and
dignity to the school.
For an event that was billed to
start at 10 a.m, the graduating
students satrted poring into the
venue, the NIS Multipurpose
Hall, National Stadium, Lagos as
early as 8 a.m. The students could
<strong>be</strong> seen taking group
photographs in their academic
gowns. Some making final
preparations to ensuring they “It
is a special day. We thought it
would never happen <strong>be</strong>cause
since 2005 that I graduated I am
yet to experience this,” said
Nigeria’s first Olympic medalist,
Chioma Ajunwa.
Ajunwa charged the school’s
management team to improve.
“This is the highest sports
institute in the country that has
produced a lot of coaches that
have contributed immensely to
the development of sports in the
country. Any coach in Nigeria that
did not pass through the school is
not acceped outside this country.
So management ought to <strong>be</strong> up
and doing and don’t keep students
for long periods <strong>be</strong>fore holding
convocation.”
Another graduate, Jumai
Mohammed said, “Today is a
happy day for me and my
colleagues <strong>be</strong>cause we have
waited for so long for this event.
With this convocation, we now
have our certificates and have
something to show that you
actually graduated from this
school. It will enhance our
chances in the labour market,
even outside the country.”
Mohammed was one of the
lucky student who didn’t need to
wait for long <strong>be</strong>fore the
convocation. She rounded off her
programme in 2018. On this she
said proudly, “we were the set
that brought an end to the long
wait. We broke the jinx and
ushered in a new era in the life of
the school.”
Former Bendel Insurance
striker, Mfon Bassey said, after
one’s active days as a footballer it
was only desirable that one
pursued a coaching or sports
management career. “Without a
certificate one is doomed,” the
former 3SC and Nigerdock player
said. That was why he said he
cherished the events of that day.”I
consider this day special in my
life. I came here to acquire
knowledge and it would show in
the way I work and the result will
also prove that the school actually
impacted greatly on me.”
Bassey said government must
try and improve its support for the
school. “Right now they are trying
but the school deserves more. Poor
power supply has <strong>be</strong>en one of the
biggest problems in the school. It
frustrates the students efforts to
read,” Mfon, a 2016 graduate said
Director of the NIS, Dr Eke
Kingdom Chukwudi was the
happiest man to have “broken the
14-year jinx.” He felt proud of his
management team and the
support he got from the governing
board of the school led by Alhaji
Ibrahim Galadima. He was also
appreciative of the contributions
of corporate Nigeria in the
realisation of his major
breakthrough since assuming
office a few years back.
The director looked to the future
with renewed optimism.
Said the Director, “Accreditation
of the institute by the Board for
Technical Edication is in progress
•Graduating students getting set for their convocation
and when that happens, our graduates would <strong>be</strong>
recognised and accepted anywhere they go.”
The director also appealed for improved funding for
the institute by the federal government while also
appealing to the corporate organisations to do more for
the school. “I appeal to corporate bodies to give back
to the society, the excess profits they record annually.
Supporting the NIS would <strong>be</strong> a welcome
development.”
The Chairman of the governing board, Alhaji Ibrahim
Galadima said his board would not rest on its oars as it
was working for a review of the school curriculum in
order to make it more encompassing in the training of
modern day coaches.
On his part, Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung said
he was jinx breaker whose tenure has seen him revive
the country’s sporting traditions. “First it was the
National Sports Festival which could not hold for
several years, we were able to stage a very successful
festival at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja last year,
today it is the NIS holding its convocation after 14 years.
I share the joy of the students and the graduands, some
who have waited for 14 years for this event.
“I must emphasise that we must endeavour to keep
some of these laudable sporting traditions we
inherited..”
He recalled that the NIS came about through an
initial collaboration <strong>be</strong>tween Nigeria and the Institute
for Sports of Germany. It has since <strong>be</strong>en abandoned
but we are going to revisit that partnership agreement,
dust it, with a view to reviving it. We also have an
existing collaboration with the University of
Johannesburg.” He promised that a team will soon visit
South Africa pursuant to revisiting the collaboration.
“I have told the chairman of the governing board that
he has no time to spare. He has to work 24/7 to ensure
this institute works again,” the minister said.
Dalung also said that the NIS would go into
collaboration with friendly institutions of higher
learning in Nigeria in order to enhance its course
content in to achieve their vision to “<strong>be</strong> a first class
institute transforming Nigeria and sustaining it as a
world leader in sports.
Wilder ‘ll only fight Joshua with 50-50 split of purse
DEONTAY WILDER says there is no chance he will
fight Anthony Joshua unless there is a 50-50 split
of the purse.
Boxing fans have <strong>be</strong>en calling for a unification fight
<strong>be</strong>tween WBC heavyweight champion Wilder and
Britain’s title holder Anthony Joshua.
In negotiations until now, the Joshua camp have offered
terms in his favour due to the four-<strong>be</strong>lt champion’s bigger
appeal. But Wilder, 33, insists he is the biggest draw in
boxing and his much-hyped meeting with Joshua will
not happen until the contracts treat them equally.
Speaking to The Schmo, Wilder said: “Loyalty is
everything, it’s the foundation of success.
“How can you do negotiations, a deal, if we don’t know
what the other party is doing?
“Whatever the fight was worth, let’s say $3, and you
give me $1 and he gets the rest of the pot – I’m lowering
my standards. That’s not right to me.
“Like I said, and I’ll say it again, the only way this fight
is going to happen is if it’s 50/50. I don’t care what it is.
• Wilder Joshua
BADMINTON:
18 countries for
Africa Senior
Championships
Eighteen countries will take part in
the All Africa Senior
Championships which will come up
from April 26 to 28 at the Alfred Diete
Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt, Rivers
State.
The Championships is made up of two
separate tournaments: the Mixed Team
Event holding from April 22 to 25 and
the Individual Championship which will
hold from the April 26 to 28.
The 18 countries that have registered
for the showpiece event include Algeria,
Benin, Botswana, Congo, Congo DRC,
Eritrea, Egypt Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Other participating countries include;
Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, South
Africa, Togo, Uganda, Zambia,
Zimbabwe and the host country, Nigeria.
The Badminton Federation of Nigeria
(BFN) has commended registered teams
and promised to stage the <strong>be</strong>st All Africa
Senior Championships the continent has
ever seen. The BFN President, Francis
Orbih promised that the country will <strong>be</strong>
ready to host Africa.
Orbih stated, “As part of the
preparations for this competition, the
BFN organized the 1st Rivers Governor’s
National Badminton Championship in
Port-Harcourt in Decem<strong>be</strong>r 2018. The
National Championship provided us
with an opportunity to test-run the
facilities and infrastructure needed to
host the All African Championship.
“We learnt a lot of lessons from the
National Championship, which have
proved very useful in our current
preparations. The Rivers State
Government has <strong>be</strong>en very supportive
in our preparations and with their
continued support, we will <strong>be</strong> ready.”
Rivers State for Sports, Boma Iyaye
noted that the expected level of
participation shows that Rivers State is
still one of the most important
destinations for sports tourism in
Nigeria. “With the kind of infrastructure
investments made by Governor Nyesom
Ezenwo Wike, we are not surprised to
see the quality of countries interested in
coming to the state to take part in the
Championships.
“Rivers State is ready and we are sure
this will <strong>be</strong> the <strong>be</strong>st All Africa Senior
Badminton Championships ever. This is
the promise of the Rivers State
Government to Africa and we are
committed to keeping this promise,” he
added.