The Sports Performance Reward Fund (SPRF) which aims to reward athletes who attain podium success at the Olympics, Commonwealth, All Africa Games and major World Championships is one million Naira richer even before the Lagos launch scheduled for Saturday, June 25 after the MTN Junior Tennis League Championship finals at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club.
The donation came from Ahmadu Musa – Kida, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) recognised president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation Musa – Kida who led the national men’s and women’s basket teams to back to back African championship wins and to the Olympics. He has been nominated to the board of the SPRF which will be unveiled soon.
” I am glad to make this donation to underline my commitment to this project. I have no doubt that the SPRF will achieve the objectives for which it was set up.” Musa – Kida who retired recently as Deputy Managing director, Total Energies, Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited said.
The SPRF which plans to reward Olympic gold medalists with N10 million, Sliver N7.5 million and bronze N5 million with other events graded according to their level of importance, now has a total of N2.1 million in its kitty/.
Godwin Kienka, director of the International Tennis Academy and pro tem secretary of the Fund said all the members of the board are excited by the prospect this fund holds for Nigeria’s sporting youth.
“Musa – Kida’s case is looking like the proverbial stone which the amateur builders rejected becoming the corner stone in the hands of master architects.” Kienka said.
The Lagos launch of the SPRF has Professor Wale Sulaiman, a world renowned neurosurgeon with practices in New Orleans, Lagos and London as the Chief Launcher.
