By: TUNDE BOLAJI – MINNA.
Director General Federation of Youths Soccer Clubs (FEYSOC), Alhaji Batako Umar Lapai has charged the new Niger state leadership of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) to build closely knitted relationships around key stakeholders in sports to achieve better results.
Establishing strong bonds of partnership between SWAN and other key players in sports in Niger state beyond common financial benefits will bring about the much needed growth and development of sports at the local government areas and state level.
The FEYSOC DG spoke when he received the state SWAN executives led by its chairman, Alhassan Mohammed Kutigi, on a courtesy visit.
Batako told the state SWAN leadership that there are collaborations that are capable of yielding better and lasting impact, hence the importance of visits to key stakeholders for collaborations
Explaining that, despite being more of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), FEYSOC is poised to use sports, football in particular as a vehicle to not only entertain but create jobs or empower youths as one of the strategies to curtailing crimes and criminalities.
Batako Umar said he is not unaware that SWAN has no source of funding to carry out most of its activities, adding that only established collaborations with key stakeholders in sports including FEYSOC can enable it succeed.
The Federation has over the years championed grassroots football development by discovering hidden talents, Batako said, adding that it is on record that most of the players that participated in the recent Governor’s cup competition were FEYSOC products.
Congratulating them for successful election, Batako who solicited for closer working ties with SWAN leadership as has existed between it and the State FA assured that his doors are open for collaborations that will bring about fulfillment of common objectives for intrested sports related bodies in Niger state.
The Chairman of SWAN, Niger state, Alhassan Kutigi had earlier told his host that they were in his office to formally introduce the new leadership to him.
Kutigi told the FEYSOC boss about lined up programmes by the SWAN executives, and therefore solicited for his contributions towards actualizing set objectives.
