Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, says the federal government will explore all possible avenues for more youths participation in sports to empower them to become self-employed.

“This move is in line with the present administration’s policy thrust, which is geared towards making the teeming Nigerian youths entrepreneurial,” Dare said when he received the executive director of Hand-To-Hand Sports Federation of Moscow, Sorgai Poroshin.

Mohammed Manga, a spokesman for the ministry, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the ministry’s permanent secretary, Ismaila Abubakar, received Poroshin on Dare’s behalf.

“The ministry will put up workable modalities which will make Nigeria not to only key into programmes by Hand-To-Hand Sports but also open up more doors for our youths’ involvement in the various fields of sports worldwide,” Dare was quoted as saying.

The minister urged Nigerian youths to keep themselves abreast of news about the various policies, programmes and initiatives of the present administration.

He said this would enable them to take advantage of every available opportunity to better their lives.

Earlier, Poroshin said he was in the ministry to introduce the hand-to-hand game to the country.

He said the sport had been in existence in the past 16 years and has 38 countries on its membership list.

“The countries include Ghana, and there is the need for Nigeria to see the possibility of keying into it in view of its position as the giant of Africa.

“Nigeria’s acceptance of the game will further open a new horizon for the country’s youths to make their mark in the group of sports-loving countries,” Poroshin added.

(NAN)