It’s Chicken Feed, Sir, Says Nimrod, V’Ball Coach To Tinubu On Sports Budget

Seasoned but painfully blunt President, Nigeria Volleyball Federation, NVF, Engnr Musa Nimrod, has asked President Bola Tinubu, to as matter of urgency review Sports Budget already passed into law.

Short of calling the sports budget a joke considering how inadequate the money is in the light of anticipated sporting engagement the country has lined up for the year, Nimrod has the President Tinubu to review upward the planned expenditure for sports.

“We thought things would improved after Sports was separated from Youth Development,” explained NVF boss, recalling previous instances where both sports and youth portfolios were merged.

Under the previous practice, the Youth sector of the ministry took the lion share of the budget.

But Nimrod is asking that the president to look favourably at the sports.

Nimrod made the appeal during an interview with journalists on the way forward for Nigeria’s Sporting Federations in Yola.

“I want to sincerely appeal to President Bola Tinubu to increase the budgetary provision for sports development even though the budget has been signed into law, particularly now that 2024 has a lot of local and international sporting events across the globe.

“The Sporting calendar for 2024 starts on the 4th of January with the Volleyball Federation Zone 3 Africa games qualification in Lagos. Another Volleyball Championship comes up in Ghana on January 18th.

“Super Eagles are participating in the 34th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast this January, the 13th African Games in Ghana by March, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France from July to August as well as the Paralympic Games,” he said.

He further urged, ahead of the African Games Qualifiers in Lagos, that players see it as an honour that should spur them to put in their best.

He said, “Whenever you are in the green white green colour of Nigeria and the national anthem is played, you feel the Nigerian you are, I urged the players representing Nigeria to play for pride and honour.”

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