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| Yusuf Suleiman, Sports minister, faces first failure |
Sports is no voodoo. Nigeria has recorded so many sports feats without working for it or properly planning for such feats. The 10th All African games holding in Mozambique next month will show the true state of sport development in the country. Mark my words.
Three milestones will form the next stages of this scientific conclusion of mine. To untrained pundits, this decision or conclusion can be seen as hasty. The summary is: Nigeria will return from this edition with the worst ever performance.
Three milestones will form the next stages of this scientific conclusion of mine. To untrained pundits, this decision or conclusion can be seen as hasty. The summary is: Nigeria will return from this edition with the worst ever performance.
THE CUBAN COACHES: That the National Sports Commission (NSC) has secured the services of three Cuban jump coaches for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) ahead of the All Africa Games scheduled to hold in September in Mozambique created a new fun and laughing spree.
According to the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Solomon Ogba, he said the three coaches were mainly for jumps (long jump, high jump and triple jump), throws (shot put and discus) and stick sprints (100m and 110m hurdles).
The implications are that, of Ogba's 14 crowd of coaches, none is good enough to handle the athletes in these events better than the Cubans? What is the exceptional feat of the Cubans or of Cuba in the jumps in global athletics history to make them magicians that will effect a profound difference in the team with less than 30 days to the games?
THE GHANA FIASCO: Uhn! Nigeria was markedly disgraced in Ghana by the AFN whose relay team I gathered dropped baton at the international athletics meet. I gathered the squad arrived too late (yes, late to Ghana). They had no coach. Is this not the omen of the planlessness of the AFN that is unashamedly promising 10 gold medals out of 48 available in athletics? I will be horribly shocked if they mistakingly meet this high standard of 10 gold medals. I have done my own analysis, I do not see them making that. Will Mr. Solomon Ogba offer to resign if and when he finish failing this mark in Maputo. He has done more harm to athletics than any of his predecessors.
Was this not the same AFN that set inhuman standards for the national athletics meet in Calabar?
Is it not this same AFN that dropped three national record setting athletes from the commonwealth youth championship for "bad behaviour". What qualifies as bad behaviour? When coaches and federation officials ask female athletes for sex and the athletes say no. That makes the athlete one of “bad behaviour” and is discriminated against by being blacked out of the national team. Their events are as a result removed from the events the federation is interested in.
Is it not this same AFN that dropped three national record setting athletes from the commonwealth youth championship for "bad behaviour". What qualifies as bad behaviour? When coaches and federation officials ask female athletes for sex and the athletes say no. That makes the athlete one of “bad behaviour” and is discriminated against by being blacked out of the national team. Their events are as a result removed from the events the federation is interested in.
MAPUTO OMEN: This is a nation without records and history. Did the current managers of uNigerian athletics realise that in African athletics, a Nigerian was the first to run under 10 seconds in 100m? do they know that a Nigerian was the first to run under 20secs in 200 metres? The same goes for the 400m flat and even the long jump. Today, it is clear that we are lost in the maze of leadership in African athletics in terms of performance.
TOMORROW: By this time tomorrow, I will deliver my firm verdict on the final list that the AFN released to represent Nigeria in Maputo. It is incisive, detailed and asserts that there is no vision in the house and the nation is set actually for the disaster foretold. Keep a date.
Jide:
ReplyDeleteI have been following your pieces these past weeks and decided not to comment, until now. How gloomy are your projections for this country. How can you say that Nigeria, will repeat any of its mistakes, haba, have you no shame! How come you are codemning a high chief, one, who claims to be a paragon of sports in Nigeria, a man who has personally sacrificed his funds, time and powerful political goodwill in the pursuit of excellence in Nigeria. Shame on you for revealing that one of the identified coaches is at least "registered", what else do you want, is registration, not better than a claim without any proof!!!
Jide, take your time ooo, how can you profess Maputo disgrace, in this tenure of uncle Jonah and concensus governance... Take your time oo. Has the NFA/NFF saga not thought you anything???? How can you tell a high chief of sports to resign, is he the only failure, embes(sic), or challenged chairperson in an admin function today?? what did you people do to the rest.... Abeg leave the high chief alone o jare... if the entire country is run on a mediocratic and padi padi situation, then how and why are you antagonising one person????... charity begins at home... please leave the high chief alone.... (funny observation, AFN and NFA are same with the letters reversed, hmm, maybe the fruit never falls far from the tree)....
The Maputo games will not only be a disaster, it will be shambolic, and athletics will rest on Ms. Okagbare's shoulders (she and her fellow compatriots, will be begged and induced to participate for the wrong reason, money).
Now, i understand you frustration, so the high chief will go, come and be promoted to minister for meritorious service to the nation. Uncle Jonah sabi promote these kinds of people.
Read my blog tomorrow. I will discepher all you need to know about our team's chances, but please easy on with Solo Ogba. he is not the problem, but he is already a product of the system......Nice piece, could do without the attack on ogba... he is just as clueless as we are....take care bros...
Jide, I think whats important is to ascertain the credentials of the Cubans on the stated sports to see if they are relevant and capable of delivering value. But generally, I think the problem, as it also affects, other sports, is the platform for sports administration and management in Nigeria, especially with regards to policy formulation,projections and programming, facilities, training, sports education and sports medicine, funding, facilitation etc"
ReplyDeleteJide, I think whats important is to ascertain the credentials of the Cubans on the stated sports to see if they are relevant and capable of delivering value. But generally, I think the problem, as it also affects, other sports, is the platform for sports administration and management in Nigeria, especially with regards to policy formulation,projections and programming, facilities, training, sports education and sports medicine, funding, facilitation etc
ReplyDeleteNo. He will rather be promoted for failing. The more failure he records the better promotion he gets!
ReplyDelete