Ejiofor Blames Administrators for Nigeria's Woes
From Emeka Enechi and Pius Ayinor in Athens
Nigeria may be returning home from the Athens Olympics empty handed but could reach the skies with an anticipated performance in the next games holding in China. However, this can only be achieved through a concerted effort, planning and quality programme by the sports ministry.
Reacting to Nigeria's poo showing at the games, President of Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria Prince Sam Ejiofor advised officials of the Sports Ministry to seek avenues of advancing Nigeria's course at the next games rather than wasting the country's precious time lamenting her failure to win medals at the games. Ejiofor said it was high time officials of the sports ministry focused attention on the sports Nigeria have comparative advantage over others. His words "We have always had the talents. Our major problem is how to prioritise our needs. We like gambling a lot. I tell you if we prioritise the sports where we have comparative advantage over other countries, I tell you there is no way we will attend international championships like the Olympics without winning a medal. We know the sports where we have advantage and must capitalise on that. Look at Kenya and Ethiopia for example, they know where their strength lies and they dissipate their energy on the events''.
He said that Gymnastics would have fetched Nigeria some medals at the games but for the lack of support and awareness associated with games. 'The logic that have it that Africans cannot win medals in gymnastics is baseless and unfounded. The problem we have is that the game is not well received and projected. By all standards of definition, gymnastics is the queen and servant of all sports, so I don't see the reason why we cannot perform well in the game. Our challenge is how to create the necessary awareness even in government circles to position the sport well. It is a medal hauling game and if the country musters enough support and encouragement for athletes in the game, we will not be talking of this woeful disappointment''.
Ejiofor attributed Nigeria's shoddy performance at the games to inadequate funding, aging athletes and lack of vision on the part of officials. 'I have had people complain about lack of funding but the real impediment we had was unpatriotic and aging athletes who ostensibly blocked the chances of young athletes that would have made a difference at the games''.
In essence, he advised that a thorough overhauling of sports administrators be carried out adding that most of the people who work as sports administrators have no business working in their respective capacities. 'We have many people who don't any business in sports administration running the sector in Nigeria. Most officials don't have any business in their associations. Some are there for patronage while others are serving the interest of their god fathers. They have nothing to contribute and cannot equally maintain the standard they met in their respective associations''.
Ejiofor who said he was in gymnastics to make an impact by taking it to the next level, said government must look inwards by mandating the schools at the three tiers of government to imbibe school sports in their system. He said Nigeria excelled at international championships in the past as a result of the system''.
He therefore urged the government to initiate programmes which will ensure a better performance at the next games saying officials will only blame themselves if they fail the nation at the China games in 2008.
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