Rivers State Director of Sports council, Sir Daubo Harry has reacted to a statement credited to Nigeria number one and Rivers State best gold medalist in the 17th and 18th National sports festivals, that he will no longer compete for Rivers State, the state that shot him to limelight.
Sir. Daubo Harry speaking with The Newswriter sports last Friday at the Rivers state sports ministry revealed that Edward Osim was just a skater trying his luck at the Alfred Diette Spiff Civic centre sports complex where he was picked by the Director of sports, Sir Daubo Harry to get involve in cycling.
According to Sir Daubo Harry, after spotting him and seeing that he has cycling potentials, he personally assisted him (Edward Osim) to join the cycling athletes of Team Rivers for training.
He did everything in his power to encouraged coach Emmanuel Onasanyo to coach him (Edward Osim) to a medal worth athlete for team Rivers.
Concerning employment, the Rivers State sports council boss said, contract was the best option adopted to suit all athletes that have good record with the Rivers State sports team, so that all level headed disciplined athletes in the system could also be useful to themselves as well as the Rivers state government, who is the sponsor.
He asked, how many athletes could the government employ? considering the number of athletes being produced on annual basis? Stressing that Rivers State could not have athletes in its system without contributing to the development of sports in the state.
If an athlete had competed for twice in a particular state, in any national sports meet, that athlete could not compete for the very state for the third time at the national level, hence athletes are considered for contract based on their performance record for future engagement.
It would be recalled that Edward Osim at the award giving night, when governor Amaechi awarded Rivers athletes that competed for Rivers at Eko 2012 were presented their award, award of cash was made to all the athletes that participated for the 18th National sports festival and went home with smile, granted an interview to The Newswriter sports, that he will no longer compete for Team Rivers.
For his decline to compete for Team Rivers, according to him, Rivers State is paying less than states like Oyo and Nassarawa, which paid their gold medalists 750,000 (seven Hundred Fifty Thousand Naira) while Rivers that came second is paying her athletes N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
Secondly, the state government does not consider her athletes scholarship but only induced her athletes with contract employment instead of full employment.
He said there is no motivation and pleasant incentive to fire up athletes performance.
Sir. Daubo Harry also said scholars was created but along the line the registration system failed the sports council. ###
