The Taraba State Director of Sports Council, Coach George Shitta has reiterated the council’s readiness to use her grassroots sports development to discover talented youths in the state with a view of bringing them to the limelight.
Shitta made this known during an interaction with members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), the Taraba chapter led by its Vice Chairman, Abdulbasil Suleiman in his office in Jalingo, the capital city.
George Shitta described the just concluded Sixth National Youths Games held in Ilorin, Kwara State capital as a huge success.
According to him, the state is currently number twenty-two on the national medals list and the first in the North East.
The Director Sports Council lauded Taraba state-contingent for winning gold medal and bronze in Volleyball males and Karate females respectively at the National Youth Games for under-15 downward.
He revealed that the gold medal was the first in the history of Taraba state in sports events.
He noted that due to excellent performance by state athletes and players, about eight of them have been identified and selected to participate at the national level.
George Shitta, Also disclosed that Taraba state had participated in twelve sports events during the 6th NYG in Illorin, hoping to reach sixteen including cricket at the 7th National Youths Games scheduled to hold in Kano State in 2022.
However, the Director of Sports Council, Shitta appreciated the state Governor, Darius Ishaku for his unflinching support for sports development in the state and urged the state government for more support.
“We are always appreciating His Excellency, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku for his enthusiasm for sports development. Many states were approved for almost two months ahead of the 6th National Youth Games but could not make it due to lack of cash backing but Taraba was approved and immediately the fund was released.
“Since His Excellency was elected as Governor, Taraba has never missed any national event, and I want to use this medium to also appeal to wealthy individuals as well as corporate organizations to come and invest in sports especially at the grassroots level because it is a business and government cannot do it alone,” he said.
George Shitta who cited an instance with himself, other officials of the state sports council, Omokachi, Rashidi Yekini, Ahmed Musa, Jeje Okocha in the area of football amongst many others said they all started from the grassroots level, believing that if all hands would be on deck, the rate of unemployment and crimes in the society will be curtailed.
He, therefore, expressed gratitude to the parents and guardians of athletes for the trust reposed in them by allowing their children to travel to Kwara state despite the current security challenges and urged them not to relent to continue encouraging the young talents for them to achieve their desired goals.