Despite coming first in the 17th National Sports Festival, courtesy of the diplomatic efforts of the gymnastic association chairman, Engr. Diepreye Jacob, who had to convince the government to hire equipment from Abuja for his wards (athletes) to record the first position for the state, the Rivers State sports authority has not deemed it fit to get equipment in preparation for the forth coming 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos, in November, even as the athletes have started training in readiness for it.
So sad to note here that Rivers State is the defending champions of this particular event, as the state also produced Nigeria’s number one through the personal efforts of the association chairman, who personally went for the best coach available in the country for the sport.
If Rivers State government wants to still maintain the gold medals it won through that sport, there are no two ways about it than to get equipment for the athletes to train in preparation of the forthcoming 18th National Sports festival.
Even as the chairman of the association has single handedly borne the burden of the association for this much, the glory and the reward go to the state government and sports ministry. The time to exercise action is now before sad stories start hanging in the air for the state in that sport.
The athletes are much more ready to make the state proud. That is the much reason the authority concerned should get into business and get the athletes equipment to train in readiness for the national sports festival.
This is the appeal of the association chairman, Engr. Diepreye Jacob. This is the plea of well-meaning people of Rivers State as they would want the athletes defend the gold medals they won here in Port Harcourt, successfully in Lagos come November 2012.
Allanso
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