Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, has stated that 60 Nigerian sporting icons will be celebrated for 60 days as part of the country’s 60th Independence celebrations.
Dare stated this at a media parley for the National Principals’ Cup in Lagos on Monday.
He said, “This country has enjoyed sporting glory in 60 years. We won gold medals at the Atlanta Olympics and we’ve seen so many of our sportsmen and women represent this country and also have become global stars.
“The ministry, in partnership with a couple of TV stations, will start the selection of 60 sports icons, people will submit and we will pick 60 of them. We are going to have a roll-up banner top to bottom at the velodrome in Abuja, of all the selected 60 sports icons who made this country proud, some dead and some still alive.
“We are also going to have audio running commentaries that will talk of their exploits, and this will run for 60 days. We hope to have some of these icons present at the velodrome so that they can speak to the public.
“This is meant to inspire our young ones, to see the living legends who have made our country proud. But for us, it is going to be a celebration of these icons who are still alive, and for those that are dead. It will be a pride for their families, their wives and their children and to show that this country recognises their labour.”