Dalung promises training grants for foreign, home athletes
The Minister of Youth and Sports Barrister Solomon Dalung has assured Nigerian athletes currently participating in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast that the Federal Government will not discriminate against any of them during payment of training grants. The Minister made the remark during his second visit in one week to the Games Village to make clarifications on issues of training grants. “I am here to make clarifications on certain developments that will portray us in bad light, disturb our unity of purpose and has a possibility of distracting our attention from success. The issue of training grants is an exclusive reserve of the federal government presently handled by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and it is a decision that will always be taken in our national interest. A statement suggesting discrimination is not at all in our interest. Grants are paid based on categorization and not based on the principle of where you are resident or where you train.”
The Minister also cautioned the athletes on intimidation of up-coming ones and urged them to guard against causing problems in camp through rumour mongering and false information capable of breaking the unity and peace of the camp.
Dalung however disclosed that rewards for new records will be at the discretion of the federal government.
In her vote of thanks, the new African 200m record holder Blessing Okagbare thanked the minister on behalf of the athletes for his fatherly advise and his clarification on some issues affecting the team.
She promised that the team will do their best to make Nigeria proud at the ongoing Games.