“Powerful” Abuja 2014 Delegation At CGA Meeting
25/09/2007 |
 |
 |
Arrangements have begun for Nigeria’s President Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua to lead a “powerful” federal government delegation to the Commonwealth Games Association General Assembly November 9 in Sri-Lanka to prove the federal government’s backing for Abuja’s 2014 Commonwealth Games bid.
AllAfrica.com reports that the government’s involvement at the CGA General Assembly would be to lobby member countries that the government is in support of the bid morally and financially. In doing this it appears that Abuja 2014 has taken the advice of Vidhya Lakhan, a CGA member from Fiji, who was in Abuja last week as part of a delegation to inspect Abuja’s bid.
He said if Abuja was serious it needed the support of the government and high officials in Sri-Lanka to prove it’s behind the bid and to lobby member countries.
He added, “I will be lying to you if I say we will vote for Abuja. That will be decided when we go back home and put our heads together. You have to convince the General Assembly that you have the facilities, people and government to host the games. Whoever will host the games must have the required facilities. The security, safety and the welfare of athletes are important”.
Dennis Sterling, a member of the delegation from Norfolk Island, said for Nigeria to win the right to host the games the committee should be able to convince the athletes on the need to come to Africa to experience the diverse Nigerian culture. “When in Sri Lanka you should be able to lure athletes to Africa. Prove that it is only African culture, and hospitality that is missing in their life. Show that you want the athletes to come and feel the warm weather, culture and tourism that abound in Nigeria, that will swing the votes”.
All Africa reports that Nigeria’s cultural heritage would be on display at the general assembly with musicians, cultural troops, businessmen, sports administrators, and diplomats attending the meeting.
Part of the lobby group could include the ministers of foreign affairs, information and communication, FCT culture and tourism.
According to All Africa, unlike other countries that have hosted the Commonwealth Games, only Abuja has an interconnected venue with relative distance of about a 10- minute drive. The media village will be well equipped and the athletes will be air lifted to and from the games, offered free accommodation and food, and $125,000 will be given to each member country to train their athletes.
(Source: Gamesbids.com)
|
| Back |
|
|
|
|
 |
