Australia Commonwealth Games: Obaseki announces N7.5m cash reward for Edo athletes, coaches

The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has announced a N7.5 million cash reward for the state's coaches and athletes that participated in the 2018 Commonwealth Games held in Australia.

Obaseki announced the reward when he met with the coaches and athletes in Government House, Benin City, on Tuesday.

Each of the six athletes from Edo State who represented the country at the April Games got N1million while the three coaches got N500,000 each.

The governor restated his administration’s commitment to revamp sports in the state through investment in sports infrastructure and support for athletes and coaches.

He maintained that sports development in the state would start from the grassroots as was the practice when the state excelled in local and international sporting events.

"We are setting up a Sports Commission and the bill is in the Edo State House of Assembly. We want to bring in experts in the field to revamp the sector for better outcomes.

"The state places huge premium on grassroots sports development and plans to construct mini-stadia in schools with large fields across the 18 local government areas of the state,” the governor said.

He expressed his gratitude to the athletes and coaches for their commitment and determination to making the state and country proud.

Earlier, the Edo Director of Sports, Airende Sunny, commended the governor for inviting members of the 2018 Commonwealth contingent to the Edo State Government House.

Airende also commended the governor for the ongoing reforms in the state's sports sector especially the renovation of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.


He lauded the state government’s plan to build mini-stadia across the 18 local government councils of the state and said the facilities would help develop sports at the grassroots.

He added that the Edo team would leverage the state government’s support to excel in the 2018 National Sports Festival scheduled to hold in Abuja later in the year.

PHOTO CAPTION


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Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (4th left, back row); Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Yakubu Gowon (4th right, back row), with coaches and athletes of Edo State origin, who represented the country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, after a courtesy visit to the governor, at the Government House, Benin City, on Tuesday, July 17, 2018.