The National Sports Commission (NSC) says its new programme of nurturing athletes that would represent the country at international sports competitions has no place for illiterate athletes.
Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who disclosed this in a chat with reporters in Abuja, said competitions where majority of the athletes will be picked for nurturing would draw participants from schools.
Besides having proper records of the athletes representing the country, Abdullahi said the idea is to ensure that only educated athletes are selected to represent the country in future continental and global sports competitions, stressing that bringing those outside school on board will not do the country any good.
"When you ensure that only children from school compete, it becomes easier for you to get the records of the children. The kind of children we want to represent Nigeria in the 21st century are those that come from the school. By the time we continue to make excuses for those who are not in school, we are not helping the country," Abdullahi said.
Speaking further, Abdullahi assured that the Abuja National Stadium will be ready for the Super Eagles matches in June.
He said the delay in completing the work was as a result of the failure of the contractor to get the right grass for the pitch.
"The delay in the grass planting has nothing to do with funds. We have signed this contract and paid. The contractor had issues getting the right grass for the pitch that is the reason the work has slowed down.
"We have a deadline for June and we are confident the pitch will be ready for June," the minister said.
