Minister endorses Nigerian Sports Legends awards

Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi

The Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi has endorsed the Nigerian Sports Legends awards. The minister approved the award as an annual event following a meeting with the Director, Grassroots Sports Development of the National Sports Commission.

Abdullahi who approved the award also directed that the event be organised to meet standard international practices and due diligence. The letter of approval was signed on behalf of the minister by Okere Emmanuel of the NSC. The letter was addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the organising company New Age Sports Africa, Mr Shamsudeen Tijani-Yusuf, who promised to abide by the directive.

Emmanuel also informed Tijani-Yusuf and the directive of the need to liaise with the Sports Sector Centenary Committee to work out the details of the award, which is tentatively slated for later in the year.

The Nigerian Sports Legends award, according to Tijani-Yusuf is going to be an annual event that will recognise, reward as well as acknowledge the contributions of Nigeria’s biggest and best sports legends from independence till date. Tijani-Yusuf added that it would be the first-ever event of its kind devoted exclusively to the memories of past sports heroes. He said that there would also be special packages and plans for the legends and which will include rehabilitations, financial aids as well as documentaries to show their laudable contributions to Nigerian Sports over the last decades.

He said, “There will be a special award section for post-humours legends that have passed on as their families will be made to realize that the contributions they made to Nigerian sports cannot be forgotten.”

He thanked the sports minister for approving the event.