Former Nigerian Footballer Mutiu Adepoju , during the week called on the Federal Government and other agencies to promote grassroots sports development as a means of discovering new talents in the country.

Adepoju made this assertion at the ongoing 18th edition of the Research Institutes Games Association of Nigeria hosted by the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Ibadan in Oyo State.

The former Real Sociedad player, popularly known as the headmaster, believed that there were a lot of hidden talents in the country that could only be unearthed through grassroots development.

“Let me use this occasion to call on the Federal Government and other agencies to promote grassroots sports development to discover new talents that can make the country proud in the future. There are a lot of hidden talents. The government should make more efforts in promoting grassroots sports development,” the 53-year-old said.

Meanwhile, Oluwaferanmi Owolade, RIGAN national president in his welcome address identified funding as a major setback in putting the programme together.

“The RIGAN comprises a family of 30 Research and Development Institutes under the aegis of the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security; Science and Technology; Health; Transport; Education; Environment, and Youth and Sports,” he stressed.

CRIN beat ARMTI 1-0 in the takeoff match on Wednesday.

Credit: punchng.com