By Olawale Alabi
The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) needs to urgently work with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to establish a branch of the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Nigeria.
The FCT chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) made the call on Sunday in Abuja while congratulating the NOC on its successful elections in Jalingo on Thursday.
Bunmi Haruna, the chapter chairman, in a statement said the establishment of a CAS in Nigeria would “go a long way in checkmating the highly disturbing menace of court cases in Nigerian sports.”
FCT SWAN, while congratulating the NOC President, Habu Gumel, on the elections which saw him retaining his position also advised on early preparations for the 2024 Olympics slated for Paris.
“We also urge you to immediately set the ball rolling for the preparation of athletes for the next Olympics,” it said.
The chapter urged Gumel and the NOC to “play the politics so that government would release funds on time” for the athletes’ preparations.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gumel polled 21 votes to beat Sani Ndanusa who had 19 votes on Thursday in the elections held in the Taraba capital.
“Congratulations to Gumel and everyone who got elected in in Jalingo.
“It is good to see notable names, such as a former D’Tigers captain, Olumide Oyedeji, a former President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Solomon Ogba, and respected journalist Tony Nezianya on the new NOC board.
“We have no doubt that you deserve your positions because you have paid your dues,” Haruna noted.
He however stated that FCT SWAN believes that there is the need to run an all-inclusive government in order to build on past successes.
“We need to work to build on the successes recorded at the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham for example, and support Nigerian athletes to have an outstanding outing for Nigeria at the next Olympics Games in Paris, France.
”So, you need to make development your priority.”
NAN reports that those also elected at Thursday’s elections include Ogba as First Vice-President, Ishaku Tikon as Second Vice-President, and Oyedeji as the Third Vice-President.
The rest are Olabisi Joseph as the Fourth Vice-President, Musa Kida as Treasurer, Nezianya as Public Relations Officer (PRO), Tunde Popoola as Secretary-General and Abdullahi Mohammed as Deputy Secretary-General.(NAN)
