SWAN@60: Sportswriters Urged To Focus On Unifying Factor Of Sports

Sports Writers across the Country have been urged to focus on the unifying factor of sports in their reportage.

The Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN in the Nineteen Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Reverend Joseph Hayab, gave the advise in an interview with newsmen during a church service at the Supernatural Dominion Bible Ministry International, Gonin- Gora, Kaduna to mark the 60th anniversary of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria.

He explained that, countries such as Jamaica, Kenya and Ethiopia had invested greatly in sports and are reaping the benefits, hence the need for Sports writers to focus on it while calling on government at all levels to key into it.

“All this is to further bring people together. So if sports writers are celebrating 60, please, we want to use this occasion to encourage you to write more positive stories about sports, how sports can unite people, of different faith, how sports can unite people of different tribes, how sports can unite people of different denominations, how sports can unite people of different communities,” Reverend Hayab, who is also the Country Director, Global Peace Foundation Nigeria (GPFN), stressed.

“For all of us, despite that we practice faith, sports is part of our lives. We grew up doing sports in school.

We grew up doing sports in different places, even in church. Most of us in church today, have introduced sports into our activities because of our youths, we can catch them using sports.”

Hayab said that with greater investment in sports, the current insecurity bedeviling the country would be a thing of the past.

He also stressed that investing in the talents of children and future generation should be a priority, as great nations of the world apart from technology, became famous through sports.

“If you see the enthusiasm, the commitment youths put into sports, then there’s nothing wrong to use sports to catch them. I have seen inter-church competitions. I’ve seen inter-faith competitions. I’ve seen inter-community competitions. Because what this country needs today is unity.

If sports can give us unity, let’s hold on to it. Nations of the world are investing millions and trillions of dollars into sports.

For people who probably don’t know what sports is all about, we watch sports on TV and think that’s all, when you march into the stadia that we are watching on TV and see the kind of investment associated with it, you will know that sports does not only bring unity, sports also is an economic booster for nations. It creates jobs for them. If we enhance sports, it will be far more than what we are thinking so I salute sports writers at 60,” he said.

Also speaking, SWAN President, Isaiah Benjamin explaned that the church service is part of activities lined up to celebrate SWAN @60.

Represented by his Special Assistant on Media, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson, he explained that on Friday, Juma’at prayers were held, with the Christians doing same simultaneously across the 36 states and the FCT.

Earlier in his sermon, Brother Philip Adejumo of the Supernatural Dominion Bible Ministry International, underscored the importance of faith in the lives of humans.

He said with faith, nothing is impossible, while charging Christians to always exhibit the virtues of Jesus Christ.

Naomi Anzaku, Edited By Grace Namiji