**Five Federations On Line
By Amos Dunia, Persecond News
Abuja – About 90 athletes from five different sports will enjoy Olympic grants after the Commonwealth Games with comprehensive insurance and annuity plans.
This is as amateur athletes, coaches and officials from sports federations have also been programmed for the pilot phase of the National Athlete Insurance Scheme. (NAIS) to boost the nation’s sports enterprise.
Director General of the Nigeria Sports Development Fund Inc (NSDFI), Mr Olajide Fashikun made this known in Abuja on Tuesday in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony with Leadway Assurance Nigeria Limited
Fashikun, who disclosed that all beneficiaries would be given minimum cover, said, “as part of our commitment to make Nigerian amateur athletes in the nation feel safer doing sports, we are entering into this agreement with Leadway Assurance Nigeria Limited for this scheme.”
According to the former handball national team captain, “This is a programme we have aimed at achieving since 21 years ago when the organisation was incorporated to raise fund to develop sports in the country.”
He said the insurance giants have been primed to provide comprehensive insurance coverage and annuity for the 90 athletes in Badminton, Cycling, Athletics, Taekwondo and Wrestling.
Fashikun, a former Zamalek SC of Egypt handball player, said; “These athletes will be supported to prepare for the 2020 Olympics. They shall enjoy N10m grant. N5m is to enable them attend tournaments anywhere in the world as part of eyeing medals in the Olympics.”
The NSDFI Director General further said; “Gold medal winners in Tokyo will go home with N10m; silver will get N7.5m; and bronze will get N5m. These are structures we are using to replicate the same way our Fund supported the 2006 Olympics which has remained the hall mark of our Olympic appearance.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Leadway Assurance’s Zonal Director, Mr Allan Onifade, said, “We appreciate the professionalism of the NSDFI team. At a point we thought this deal has fallen through. It is our prayer to see some of these young athletes who will be motivated to do better with our insurance cover. We also thought we were going to see the President, Ibrahim Gusau, whose interest has been silently felt by us. Nigerian athletes are in for a protected future from this season courtesy of the Nigeria Sports Development Fund Inc (NSDFI).”
He also stated that; “As the nation’s insurance giants with a long and respected history over the years, we are so glad to have the product. It is wonderful working with this team of former Nigerian internationals whose passion for the next generation is compulsive. I can guarantee the nation’s athletes that this is a new energy to propel them to be better athletes.”
“In Leadway Assurance, we are the best and that is the house to look forward to for life to go on with confidence,” Onifade said.
The occasion was graced by the Executive Director (Technical), Chief Mary Onyali and the Finance Director, Alhaji Fatai Adeshina. On the Leadway team were Mustapha Onasanya, Idowu Akinwunmi, Femi Awodimbola and Sunny Usiobaifo.
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