Sports Festival: Eko 2012’ll Reshape Nigeria’s Sports -Fashola

Aside from the glamour that will characterised the 18th National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012, Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola believes the tournament will help to revive sports in the country.

Fashola, however expressed concern over the dwindling fortunes of sports, saying it his high time, the trend was nip in the bud.

The Governor, who spoke during the unveiling of the icons for the sporting fiesta said: “But for us, it would be nice to win but it would be perhaps much more successful for us if we could find the likes of Chioma Ajunwa’s, Mary Onyalis, Innocent Egbunikes, Jay-jay Okochas, Henry Amikes and also Patrick Ekeji, who would bear our torch again and take us to our pride as a nation globally in the arena of sports. That would be the biggest success for hosting this tournament.”

He added: “We have watched our athletes grow old while their replacements are not forthcoming and this is not good enough for us as a sporting nation. Let me ask the various states that would participate in Eko 2012 to exploit the Olympics year that we are in to ensure that they make the festival a hunting ground for our collective future excellence. I can only believe that those who conceived the festival sees it as a harvest ground for talents and this should have led to the African Championships and to the Commonwealth Games. Then we would have found our athletes in the Olympics. I hope, one day, we would find our way back to synchronise the festival for the purpose it is meant for.

The governor added: “This is a time to rebuild and plan. A nation of over 150 million is a big human resource to find athletes, who would outrun, outplay, and out-dunk any other athlete in the world. If we plan and do not deceive our leaders that we could win laurels without preparations, I think we can regain our glory. Sports is dear to my heart because I know the spirit it has to galvanize peace and happiness.”

He charged the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the states that it is necessary to re-align the sports calendar in such a manner that would help to identify talents for major events like the Olympics.

“The festival should be aimed at ultimately producing athletes for the Olympic Games. There could have been a natural flow from festivals to discover athletes to represent the country at the Africa Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games and to the Olympics rather than the current situation that the festival is held after major games,’’ he said.

The Governor, who featured at the 1979 edition of the championship in Ibadan, tasked sports administrators to ensure that athletes are well prepared for major sporting championship. “We should depart from the path we have worked for too long. The path of unpreparedness and we rely on prayers. God is a just God who rewards a prepared and hard working nation, praying and application. We can climb back to our place of prominence and I hope that through the 18th edition, which is the maturity age to vote. I think we should vote for a renaissance in our sport with Eko 2012.”