Grassroots sports: Edo State Aquatic Board Chairman, Minabowan, rolls out plans for sports development

Posted : 17 May 2023

The Chairman of the newly inaugurated Edo State Aquatic Association, Clement Minabowan, has expressed his association's readiness to immediately hit the ground running with a realisable programme.

He said that the programmes would be geared towards raising talents for the Edo State Sports Commission. The former swimming champion and gold medalist for Bendel State said that his association was ready for work.

He also added that they were in a hurry to put Edo water sports on the right track by discovering and developing athletes from the grassroots to national and international standards.

"We determined to change the narratives of the Edo Aquatic Association."

"We are coming up with a calendar of activities." Our first plan is to source funds and ensure that sponsors support us in our bid to organise regular competitions.

"We will explore the riverine areas. We need to go there to get most of the raw talent."

"We hope to get raw talent in addition to what the state government has proposed," he said.

Minabowan added that the state needed to have a standing camp that would enable athletes to be at a hostel where they would be available for regular training.

This year, we should be able to have a competition that will help discover talents both at the rural and state capital levels.

The next thing will be to keep the discovered athletes in camp to help enhance their skills in swimming for future competitions.

The state government has made our job easier by setting up a School Sports Festival Committee that will help in scouting for new talents.

"Thus, our talent base is going to be at all levels."

"We are going to work in collaboration with the School Sports Festival Committee," he said.

On tackling the envisaged challenges, Minabowan, who admitted that funds were usually the primary challenge in raising athletes, said that his association would not work in isolation.

According to him, "It takes a lot, and that is why the state government appointed us as the right individuals to help get sponsorship for our programs."

"We are going to do our best to get sponsorship from different corporations." "The maintenance of the swimming pool is a big challenge." Swimming pool maintenance is not cheap.

"In view of this, we are planning to lacate and maintain water stretch in our catchment areas."

"We will also do our best to locate riverfronts in addition to swimming pools."

"In those days, we were often taken to the Okhuahe and Okhoro Rivers in Benin for training." Minabowan emphasized.

Other members of the Edo State Aquatic Association include Sam Imoukhuede Akhiemokhan, Omorogiuwa Weyimi, Henry Inneh Igiehon, and Osarobo Aganmwonyi, among others.

Grassroots sports: Edo State Aquatic Board Chairman, Minabowan, rolls out plans for sports development

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