President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to create special funds for sporting activities in the country if re-elected.
The President made the promise while addressing sportsmen and others at a solidarity rally organised for him by the Desire for Greatness Foundation, a non-governmental organisation at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
The president who was accompanied by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Senate President, David Mark, Minister of Sports, Tamuno Danagogo; Director-General, National Sports Commission, Gbenga Elegbeleye; football stars, Augustine Eguavoen and Joseph Yobo ,Mary Onyali among others walked from the Presidential Villa, Abuja Eagles Square.
The president emphasised the need to strengthen sporting activities in the country.
He said “To strengthen sporting activities in Nigeria further, there are some areas that we need to look into and I promise that when we come back, we are going to set up a special fund that will handle these special areas.
“I have identified about five areas that we must look at. I realised that sometimes when we have major tournaments, because of government budgeting and files movement, training periods are delayed. We want to make sure that we stop that by setting up a special fund that can serve as a stop gap.
“One other thing I realised from our interactions with sportsmen and women from my days in Bayelsa State to the centre here is that some of them want special training programmes that their federation cannot fund and they won’t have money to do that. We must stop that.
“Some other ones want to improve their professional career. Because they are so committed to sports, they may not go to university at the time they should have gone. So when they want to go, they may not have the money. We must have fund for that.
“Another area is that some of them get injured and can no longer participate and sometimes, they are left on their own. We must get some funds to take care of such people.
“Another one that I have identified is that some people have made this country proud. Sport is one key thing that brings unity to this country. Whenever our sportsmen are playing, we don’t discriminate.
“We must set up a fund to make sure that nobody who made this country proud will be a beggar