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| Tafida Wadzani Gadzama |
*Why I want to manage AFN
Nigeria’s Sydney Olympics 4x400m gold medalist,
Fidelis Gadzama, has because of new realisations decided to change his name and
return to his African roots totally by taking up new cognomens: Tafida Wadzani
Gadzama.
Speaking in a chat, the man who got his Olympic
medal 12 years after he won it said, “Professor Ngugi Wa’Thiongo used to be
James Ngugi. He not only changed his world acclaimed name to that of his
African roots. He stopped writing in English and writes in Kukuyi. So I am not
doing anything new. I have new realisations and convictions about my roots and
that is where I have returned to. Simple.”
According to Gadzama, who has signified his
intention to “seek the highest office in Athletics as a way of salvaging the
remnants of the destruction that has been visited on the sport. My conviction
is based on the fact that, having had the privilege to have ran the tracks, I
like a lot of us who had done our bits in the golden era of the sport are angry
at the way things are. So, we must become change agents rather than
complainants. That is why I am stepping forward to this challenge.”
Asked if being a former international athlete is
enough qualification to be a successful administrator, he laughed, “your
question is a yes and no. Yes because the experience will guide in the proper
development of better modules that produced our likes. Here, you’ll need to
look at what former French captain, Michael Platini has done to football.”
No because administering the game requires some
exceptional values beyond just being a former international athlete. If this is
true, Nigeria deserves to have made 10 medals in the London Olympics with the
quantity of the assemblage by the AFN in our coaching crew.
Asked about the medalless outing of Nigeria in the
last Olympics. He retorted, “we need to look back with what lessons we’ve
learnt therefrom lest we won’t go forward. These issues informed my outcoming.
We need to appreciate the unique nature of our country. With sports, we can in
four years create over 2 million jobs with a high net worth of private sector
funding dlowing massively if we do it as
business,” said the London-based Chairman of the Athletics Association
of Borno state.
Dear Gadzama personally I do not see anything wrong in you contesting to be the AFN boss because in all ramification you are qualified to be one.However, I want to ask you a question- since you took over as the Chairman of the Athletics Association of Borno state, What are the significant changes that you brought to Athletics in the state? If you answer this question sincerely, Nigerians will know whether you are qualified to be the change you and some of us are asking for.
ReplyDelete@Devotion and Gadzama please you guys or gal this is not the forum for such. Gadzama merely states his interest and owes no one any reason why he did so or explanation of his agenda except perhaps when called upon for an interview before some sort of panel. But I will remind all readers that it is childish and foolish to suggest that only former athletes qualifies to head AFN. I say that because some former athletes are criminals, some are awaiting charges, some competed on drugs and majority are uneducated idiots along with few educated fools (air-tickets bribe takers). Nevertheless, few good ones exist with administration experience in large organization along with people skills (specifically, athlete). Should Gadzama ever managed large organization with diverse individuals background and fundraising credential then by all means he should go ahead. And I will say that to anyone else who want to step forward but Engineers, Medical Doctors, PEs (not Sports Admin) must look elsewhere. Non degree holder please go to school its not too late.
ReplyDeleteGadzama, God speed. Your heart is in the right place, I wish you nothing but success in your endeavor. My heart bleeds for what T&F has become. We need people with creative ideas and if you are that messiah to salvage what is left of T&F so be it. My two cents, be proactive and have integrity in your dealings and most of all don’t forget who you are. Integrity builds character and character produces result. As Maria Robinson rightfully stated “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
ReplyDeleteplease what are the names of the other members of your team at the 4 x 4 relay event that won you silver (now gold) in the 2000 sydney olympics. thank you
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