The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) says it is collaborating with the Nigeria’s University Games Committee (NUGA) to promote the Olympic Values in Education programme (OVEP).
Tony Nezianya, Public Relation Officer, NOC disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
He said the OVEP represents values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship; which also includes engagement in sporting competitions without discrimination and bitterness of any sort.
Nezianya said the event has been carefully planned to be held during the FASU Games being jointly hosted by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Lagos State University (LASU), to expose the officials to OVEP.
The NOC Spokesman said the events are scheduled to run from September 27 to September 29, 2024.
Engr Habu Ahmed Gumel, President of the NOC will declare open the trainings.
“They are all aimed at demonstrating the importance of Sports as a global phenomenon particularly over the last three decades.
“There has been increasing rivalry among participating athletes and nations, which if not effectively controlled could destroy the values of sports participation.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) in recognizing this emerging dangers, initiated OVEP programme to protect the sanctity of sports participation.
“They have deepened this by effectively contributing to building a peaceful and better world by educating the youths around the world on how to practice sport without discrimination of any kind, in the spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.
“The NOC, being the custodian of the Olympic Movement in Nigeria has not been left behind in this regard as it has since 2019, been an advocate of OVEP,” the statement explained.
The NOC said it started this programme with university athletes and have since then strived to organize this for athletes and Directors of Sports in the Nigerian universities.
“The committee has taken into consideration, those that would not be at the Games would hold their own event in Enugu and Gombe from October 2 to October 4, 2024: this will ensure good zonal representation.
“The School Sports Officers will be trained in Abeokuta, Ogun State from October 9 to October 11 and in Jos, Plateau State from October 15 to October 17, 2024,” Nezianya said.
According to him, to deliver these trainings are the IOC experts led by Prof. Clement Fasan, Prof. Abiodun Moronfolu and Mr Oluranti Lajide.
“These facilitators were trained by International Olympic Committee for this purpose,” he said.
(vitalnewsngr.com)