The Minister of Youths and Sports, Solomon Dalung, on Tuesday attributed Nigeria’s poor performance in sports to neglect of school sports.
Dalung made the assertion while inaugurating the Sports Complex at J.C. Best School International, Life Camp Abuja.
According to him, the take off spot of sports development is grassroots sports which the school sports represent.
“It provides a very broad base and a narrow top. You mop up talents at the base of the pyramid and you keep tapping on them to recharge your athlete’s profile.
“Today is very significant to us, inaugurating a grassroots sports development infrastructure is a step forward for sports development.
“This inauguration means that our commitment to go back and pick it from the bases is unchallenged,’’ he said.
Dalung appealed to Nigerians that the best way to go was to embark on grassroots sports development, adding that this could be done by picking one sports to invest in it.
Earlier, the Rector of the school, Edna Onuorah, promised to make good use of the sports complex donated by the minster to the school.
She said that in no distance time the school would produce the country’s future sportsmen and women.
Some highlights of the inauguration was competitions from different houses in the school in football, volleyball, basketball and ray lane race. (NAN)