By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
Mr Ogbonna Onyishi, Commander of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has advised budding talents to shun drugs as they pursue a career in sports.
Onyisi said this when he received leadership of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Anambra Chapter in his office last Thursday.
He said athletes should subject themselves to constant training and professionalism in order to attain the pinnacle of their chosen sports.
He described drugs as a crime and capable of derailing their dreams.
The anti drug agency boss said they were applying two prong approaches of supply reduction and demand reduction adding that they wanted to bring everybody on board.
'It is not drugs that make you what you are, it is the training professionalism that makes you a star.
'We will be willing to partner SWAN in sensitising the youth on the need for them to compete clean.
'Youth love and engage in sports, so we need to partner in our campaign against drugs.
'Training and developing your skills is what makes you a star and not drugs, doping is a crime, it can ruin one's career,” he said.
In a short remark, Chimezie Anaso, Chairman of SWAN, Anambra Chapter expressed the readiness of the association to work with NDLEA in the campaign against drugs in sports.
Anaso called on NDLEA to employ sports as a veritable preventive and rehabilitation tool by encouraging youths to engage in sports.
'Drugs are largely abused by youths and sports is for the youth, while the NDLEA prevents drug abuse, SWAN promotes sports, so there is a symbiotic relationship that we can explore to achieve a drug free and healthy society,' he said.