By Nkem Osu
At the ideation and conception stages of the Sports University of Nigeria, Idumuje-Ugboko, the Proprietor, Prince (Dr) Ned Nwoko exuded implicit aplomb, that the fruition of the project will provide a watershed in the sporting fortunes of some developing countries in order to beget competitive parity in global sports.
He particularly identified Nigeria as an epicenter for deploying the institution’s innovative approaches; embedded in the modus-operandi of the trail-blazing Sports University, as against the hitherto unproductive methods, from which Nigeria could boast only three good medals, from more than a dozen Olympics appearances.
This remarkable educational institution’s uniqueness, revolves around the Proprietor and Chancellor, Prince (Hon) Ned Nwoko’s mission statement, which among others anchors on” providing education in sports services: science; medicine; management; engineering; physical education; humanities and social science, as well as to develop top-level athletes through high performance training.
Also, it will be collaborating with relevant authorities globally for exchange programmes to produce Olympic gold medalists, at international sports championships and world record breakers in many areas of sports”.
Beside churning out quality athletes, astute sports managers and administrators, the Nigerian, African and global sports fellowship stands to harvest plethora benefits.
The Sports University boasts a preponderance of standard global sporting facilities, including but not limited to a three-floor academic building, top-scale art library, medical centers, Olympic-size swimming pool, and standard pitches for football, hockey, and baseball.
Also, the varsity showcases a five-star hotel, administrative blocks, lecture halls, canteen, and junior staff quarters among numerous state of the art facilities.
And establishing an Olympic Training Centre at the facility will indubitably enhance the standard of competitiveness in the comity of the global sporting fraternity.
Additionally, athletes who are alumni, will no longer wallow in abject poverty, as skills acquired there from, will place them in good stead in their post-competition era, as against the prevailing status of retired athletes’ complaints of neglect from their hitherto benefactors.
