Tag: Enoh

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh has expressed his delight over the number of emerging talents being discovered at the ongoing National Youth Games, taking place in Asaba, Delta State.

Senator Enoh stated that the Games is staying true to its purpose of providing a platform for young talents to be unearthed.

He noted that talents are not in short supply in the country, what is needed is the platform for visibility. He stressed that the ministry is not oblivious of this need, and his administration is determined to make available these platforms across the federation.

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“This edition of the National Youth Games has given visibility to very talented kids that represent the future of our sports as a nation. Availability of talents has never been a problem for our sports, but instead the provision of platforms for these talents to be seen has remained our achilles heel,” the Minister said. “This administration is committed to ensuring that platforms are available for budding stars, especially in our rural areas.”

“While our elite athletes continue to make us proud, we want to guarantee the future by creating a production pipeline for emerging talents to come through, transition, get nurtured and collect the baton when the time is right on the elite stage,” Senator Enoh concluded.

The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh , has reiterated his administration’s desire to ensuring talented youths in the country forge viable career pathways as athletes.

Enoh, who spoke to reporters in Asaba, yesterday, reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commitment to paying attention to  sports development in the country.

His words: “I can assure you that the present leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, shall pay undivided attention to the development of the abundant talents we have all around the nation,” John Enoh said. “We do this not just with an eye on podium performances, but to also create career pathways for our youth and millions of job opportunities in the sports value chain,” he added.

Read Also: World Football Summit: Enoh parleys Samoura ,Yunus on sports development

Enoh said the ministry will collaborate with industry stakeholders to strengthen the fight against age-cheat and doping in sports, especially amongst young athletes.

He  added: “The issue of age cheating in sports is an area in which the Ministry requires the support and collaboration of all stakeholders. On our part, one of the innovations at this year’s edition of the Games is the introduction of the National Identity Number (NIN) as part of the verification process for athletes. Working with other stakeholders, we shall keep improving the process as we move along until we reduce this menace to the barest minimum. We have to get this right as a nation if we hope to achieve sports excellence.”

 Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has stated that the National Youth Games (NYG) should never be a gathering of athletes just for merrymaking but an opportunity towards accelerating sports  development across board.

The 7th edition of the NYG opened on Saturday in Asaba, Delta State,  with over 4500 athletes from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, competing for honour and glory.

Speaking against the backdrop of the significance of the NYG, Enoh said youth sports festivals will  hence be taken seriously as talents discovered would  be  properly monitored and nurtured,  in order to contribute to the country’s pool of talents.

“I believe it’s no joke that we have a gathering of over 4500 youths in one place, this mustn’t be just for fun,” Enoh said with measured clarity. “This must be for serious thing and, of course, the basis for the National Youth Games is to be able to discover talents  in different sports.”

Read Also: Enoh canvases  sportsmanship  ahead of Youth Games

He continued: “The talent discovery must not be an end itself, but it should be a means to an end. This is the 7th  edition but the first edition for me as the Minister of Sports Development. I don’t know the measure of success after each game in the past beyond talent discovery.

 “But how are we as a country going to get these athletes to be the best in the sub-regional, continental and world’s levels? This is going to be part of the transition programmes that we are going to churn out, which is very important.”

He explained further that with youths from 36 States and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, converging in Asaba for the week-long event between September 23 and 29, the NYG would, in a short time,  deepen national unity.

“The second aspect for me is how the National Youth Games engenders national unity, “ the minister further said.

“Because you have kids coming from Ekiti, Zamfara and Cross River all together stretching the whole duration of the games, the challenge is for us to do the best by using this Games to foster national unity. And we are bringing these together with the hope that as we are discovering their talents, we are going to provide them  with the opportunities for them to complete with the best at the sub-regional, continental and world levels,” the Minister closed.

Excitement and anticipation is hitting fever pitch as the 7th edition of the National Youth Games takes centre stage  tomorrow in Asaba, Delta State.

The Games will feature 35 sports, with no fewer than 4,500 athletes from the 36 states of the federation plus the FCT participating in the jostle for glory.

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh said that the main focus of the Games will be to unearth young talents for the country, who would possibly take on the baton at the elite stage in a few years.

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“At this level of sports, our major focus as a nation will not be to win, but to provide a platform for new talents to find expression,” the Minister said. “We want to have a working system that churns out talents for the nation, and at the same time provide a platform for these talented individuals to be the best version of themselves.”

“The National Youth Games is for young athletes who are 15 years and under. It is at this level that we want to find the next Victor Osimhen, the heir apparent to Tobi Amusan, the protégés for Funke Oshonaike and Aruna Quadri, and many others,” Senator Enoh added.

He noted that part of the vision of the Ministry is to ensure proper development and provide a transition programme for these young athletes, where they can climb up the ladder from being newbies to full elite competitors.

The Games will be held between September 23 – 30 across multiple venues in the Delta State capital, with the Opening Ceremony taking place at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.

Featured sports include athletics, basketball, cricket, chess, football, judo, golf, handball, scrabble, Taekwondo, volleyball, wrestling, among others.

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh is participating in the World Football Summit, where he is advancing Nigeria’s interest to tap into the economic value-chain of sports, especially football, as top echelons of the sport converge in Seville, Spain.

On the first day of the showpiece event, Senator Enoh held discussions with FIFA’s Secretary General, Fatma Samoura on ways to drive sports development in the most populous black nation in the world.

Read Also: Enoh parleys NOC, Anti-Doping Committee on WADA

The Minister also met with accomplished Bangladeshi sports investor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, as the duo advanced discussions on sports investment.

Nigeria’s delegation at the foremost global football event includes former special adviser on Sports to the President and board member of the Nigerian Premier Football League, Daniel Amokachi, 2nd Vice President, Nigerian Football Federation and Chairman, Nigerian Premier Football League, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye.

The delegation also includes the Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Sports Development on Strategy and Implementation, Brendan Ndifon, and Deputy Director at the Ministry, Olumide Bamiduro.

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh is expected to join industry experts at the World Football Summit, holding between September 20 and 21, 2023 in Seville, in the Andalusian region of Spain.

Enoh will be participating in the event to further open up Nigeria to better footballing and sporting opportunities, as well as collaborate with other countries in a bid to reposition the sport in the nation.

In the past week, the Minister received Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ignacio Sell, as both nations discussed bilateral collaboration avenues. Spain stands as one of the biggest footballing nations in the world, with the country winning the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and its elite league ranked amongst the top five in Europe.

Read Also: Enoh parleys NOC, Anti-Doping Committee on WADA

“Nigeria’s football heritage is globally known. Our male and female teams, both senior and cadets have shown our heritage over the years in continental and global football showpiece events. We want to continue to build on that trajectory and further position our country to attain its full might in the round leather game,” Senator Enoh stated.

“We want to develop football and sports in general, so that it becomes a huge ecosystem with economic value to the country.”

World Football Summit is the biggest global platform dedicated to the football industry. Since 2016, WFS has successfully attracted attendees across 17 events and has built a global community of more than 90,000 sports industry executives throughout its platforms. Top names in the industry, including Gianni Infantino, Fatma Samoura, Ronaldo Nazario, Samuel Eto’o, Peter Moore, and Cindy Parlow-Cone have participated, showcasing the event’s significance in the global football landscape.

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh yesterday met with members of the Nigeria Olympic Committee and National Anti-Doping Committee on the challenges being faced as regards compliance with the standards of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Speaking at the meeting held at the Minister’s office inside the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja, Enoh reiterated Government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria is given its rightful place in global sports, hence the need for athletes to compete clean in both local and international competitions, as well as meet the standards set by WADA.

Enoh noted that as minister, he is working for the success of both government and the ministry and will do everything in his capacity to ensure Nigeria complies with WADA’s conditions to avoid athletes getting sanctioned, especially in the build up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

He assured that he will intensify efforts to ensure correctional measures are taken to timely meet WADA’s rules and regulations, as well as other corrective actions that will address extended non-conformity, and other critical issues.

Read Also: Ministry to seeks greater collaboration with federations, says Enoh

The minister directed the Committee to draw up programmes that will support government in domesticating the United Nations Convention and ensure that other requirements needed for adequate compliance to doping regulations are met for the cleanliness of Nigerian athletes, in and outside competition cycle.

Earlier, the Chairman of National Anti-Doping Committee, Prof. Ken Anugweje applauded the Minister for his inclusive administration where all sectors of the ministry are carried along.

He stated that the major challenges confronting the Committee is funding and lack of sufficient trained personnel. He appealed to the Hon. Minister to assist them in employing more trained officers that will enhance their capacity to meet the prerequisite of WADA and as well, fill up all operational loopholes.

In another remark, the President Nigeria Olympic Committee, Engr. Habu Gumel informed the Minister that WADA signatories have periodically threatened the country as a result of non-compliance to their rules.

While commending the Minister for his positive start to repositioning sports in the country, Gumel used the opportunity to remind him that Nigeria is yet to pass WADA Act of Parliament into law and appealed to him to ensure that the bill is passed.

The Director of Anti-Doping, Ms Fadeke Fadeyibi in her remarks, assured the Minister of the Committee’s support to ensure the country is ranked as one of the best in anti-doping compliance in the world. She added that with the determination of the Minister to solve the problems in the agency, the nation is on the right pedestal.

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh , was present at the 2023 Annual General Assembly of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), held on Sunday in Uyo.

In his remarks, Enoh stated that given the passion that football generates amongst Nigerians, it is expedient for the game to be handled with utmost professionalism by administrators, with a sense of patriotism for the good of the game in the country.

He made a case for more representation of women at the top level of football administration in the Nigeria, stating that the growth of the women’s game calls for more representation of women in meetings such as the general assembly.

“I am passionately making a case on the behalf of Nigerian football for increased representation of women in our football administration,” he said.“The Senior Women’s National Team of Nigeria (Super Falcons) ranked amongst the top 10 countries in the last FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand. This is a testament of how far our women’s football has come.

Read Also: Enoh pledges  improved  welfare packages, insurance schemes for athletes

 “It gives credence to the need for more representation of women in annual general meetings of this nature, for wider inclusion and diversity,” the minister added.

He enjoined the Federation to engage in constructive deliberations that will positively impact the development of football in the country.

Enoh expressed his delight at being present at the meeting, being his first since his appointment as the minister of sports development, as he sued for greater collaboration to foster advancement.

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh has stressed the need to provide proper welfare packages and insurance coverage for athletes in a bid to assist them perform at optimal levels.

Enoh stated that without the athletes, there would be no need for sports, consequently, it’s important to assist them compete in the best conditions possible.

 “Welfare for athletes and insurance schemes rank amongst my priorities for sports in the country, because the very essence of sports are the athletes primarily,” Enoh said.

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 “We are going to work to the best of our abilities to ensure we provide our athletes with welfare packages and insurance coverage that will catalyse their ability to perform. It’s not right for athletes to be owed and we want to bring a change to how they are treated and managed.”

Enoh expressed concerns about the state of health of retired sportsmen, stating that proper planning and long lasting policies are needed to stem the tide of ill-heath amongst retired athletes.

 “We are concerned about the state of health of our heroes past. We don’t want them to suffer health consequences in their retirement. We will look at innovative, and long lasting solutions to solve this problem.”

Senator Enoh has asked all sports federations to send a comprehensive report on their activities within a fortnight, before he will schedule a meeting to discuss prospective objectives, and targets for the federations.

Minister of Sport Development John Owan Enoh has hinted about the possibility of pulling down the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos if the planned concession would not yield the objective of breathing life into the nearly moribund edifice.

Built over 50 years ago and last used in almost two decades, the once national monument has been undergoing renovation courtesy of a private-government partnership that saw Chief Adebutu  Kessington fixing the tartan tracks,  the soccer pitch, and the scoreboard even as the government mulled over the possible concession of the facility for its proper management.

Senator Enoh had on Thursday stated after an inspection tour of the facilities at the stadium, said he would wholeheartedly support its concession for optimum usage.

But speaking at a media and stakeholder engagement in  Lagos on Friday, Enoh said there was a need to give a second thought to the planned concession in the overall interest of the country, insisting that the right decision will be made.

Read Also:Enoh reiterates commitment to Sports development

“Of course, I said on Thursday  that I would support the concession of the  National Stadium in Lagos  but  after discussion  thereafter, I also think about the possibility of bringing down the stadium because  the creative industry has benefitted from such  arrangements  with the National Arts Theatre in Lagos,” he said.“ So, we are going to have further discussion about the issue of the concession.”

He promised to operate an open door policy and carry every federation along to ensure the overall development of all sports, adding both the male and female as well the physically challenged athletes would be given equal attention. 

“ We would not compromise with the welfare of the athletes  and since  there is calendar  programme  for each sports events even up to two years ahead, we would ensure proper  funding   as well as training ahead  of competitions,” he promised.“ Without the athletes, there is no sports development.

 “ I was told by our athletes who came back from Budapest  that both Ghana and Jamaica  spent days and months  before the World Championships in camp   whereas  our own athletes did not even have  a place to train in our own country.”

He added the  National Sports Industry Policy bill  awaiting consent  of the president would serve as a template in ensuring  that things are done in the best way possible even as he thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu  for  the singular honour  of heading the  Sports Development Ministry ‘because he knows that I can offer leadership  and competence.’