The president,Aquatic Federation of Nigeria Mr Fatai Williams has specially hailed the performance of Edo swimming sensation, Leon Osayi Owie who won eleven medals for his state at the National Sports Festival in Abuja.
The swimming Federation president said the quality of the Germany based Edo athlete is a new revelation whose skills and qualities have drawn the interest of the Aquatic Federation and will want to encourage the lad to make him world class champion.
“We want to congratulate him and Edo state government for the achievement.
At sixteen is already a huge talent, winning medals at national level, so, we will ensure that we performance our duty by liaising with his coach and collaborate with Edo government to nurture him into a world class champion that can represent Nigeria any where.
He has already been penciled down for Morocco Championship next year and another one in South Korea where he needs government sponsorship. We will begin to expose him to world events because we have seen in him great talent”.He stressed.
The Edo swimming sensation rapped up his campaign at the festival with 3Gold, 5 silver and 3 Bronze medals to his credit.
Meanwhile, Edo state Deputy Governor Rt Hon Philip Shaibu has reiterated the state government commitment to harnessing budding talents and encouragement of established ones to ensure the overall development of sports in the state.
The deputy governor was responding to remarks by Mr Fatai Williams, president Aquatic Federation on the performance of sixteen year old Leon Osayi Owie in the swimming events at the national sports Festival which catched the eye of the Aquatic Federation president ,who revealed that the Federation will play its part in collaboration with his coach and Edo government to make him world class champion.
The Deputy Governor reaffirmed the state government position on sports development, saying that there is already a programme in place that will take care of discoveries like Leon and others who have made the state proud.
” We are ready to continue to produce athletes for lazy states because they always come to buy. And we will continue to count our gains. If you look carefully, you will see that most medal winners at the festival are from Edo.
So, we will continue to groom athletes. We are currently upgrading our sporting facilities, ranging from reconstruction of the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium and construction of mini stadia across the eighteen local government areas to make our plans a reality.
On the plan for Leon and others, we are already in touch with his family and coach abroad to ensure we nurture him through sponsoring him to major events even his younger brother is also wonderful “. He said.
The comrade deputy governor revealed that the state is organising its own sports Festival in 2019 to test facilities and engage the state athletes with a view to keeping them in shape.