10th July, 2013
After the poor performance of Team Nigeria at the last 2012 Olympic Games in London, the Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, felt that Nigeria can regain her lost glory if they go back to developmental programme where raw talents will be fully discovered instead of relying on ageing athletes.
In the past, National Sports Festival gave an opportunity for the coaches to discover young talents for international championship but today, many states parade elite athletes or machinery to represent them all in the name of a win syndrome.
The last National Sports Festival held in Lagos showed that many states fielded machineries, while some states went ahead to poach athletes from Cameroon which is very unfortunate for Nigerian sports.
In order to prepare for future challenges, the National Sports Commission recently has inaugurated committee with the task to organize next National Open Sports Festival coming up next year in Calabar, Cross River and National Youth Games which holds from 29 August through 7 September in Abuja.
In the last Olympic Games in London,Ye Shiwen, the 16 year old Chinese girl that shocked the swimming world by setting a new world record in individual medley was only 12 when her country hosted the Olympics in 2008. Lizzie Armistead who won the Team GB’s first medal in the last Olympics with Silver in cycling got her first bicycle at the age of 4.
Many sports loving Nigerians believe that if the organizers genuinely do their work very well in the National Youth Games, it means Nigeria will discover more talents in sports like swimming,cycling,Boxing, Athletics and Gymnastic.
These sports mentioned above have more medals compare to team sports like Football, Handball, Basketball, Hockey, Volleyball and Tennis at the international championships.
Some stakeholders who spoke on the Youth Games have commended NSC for the initiative. Some of them said that the future of Nigerian sports is bright if the organizers take Youth Games seriously and fish out raw talents that can be camped for months in preparation for future competitions.
Professor Ademola Onifade, a lecturer at the Lagos State University LASU, Ojo, said that the National Youth Games could promote grassroots sports development nationwide.
“Well it is a good idea at least to have competitive experience for the youth and it will help in engaging the youths. And I think the month fixed for the tournament is reasonable because students are likely going to be on holidays so it will not affect their studies that much. “he said.
The professor of Physical and Health Education advised the organisers of the games to ensure that the aims and objectives of the tournament were achieved.
“On the festival itself they need to get officials who are professionals and that is important because they need to be very honest and objective and sincere with what they are doing, in terms of how they are organising the kids.Then, the children will be motivated because there won’t be any cheating, there would not be manipulation of results, it is very important in order to motivate the children.
“It is very important too that the arena they going to use is of high standard, because they will be able to exhibit themselves and to prove themselves. So the arena is very important, it must be standard arena.
“At the end of it all there must not be any argument about the allowances to be given the children, anything they are promised they must fulfill that promise in terms of allowance and other perquisites. All these will go a long way in motivating the children to put in their best.” he said.
He urged the sports commission to ensure that talents discovered during the games were nurtured to become successful athletes by encouraging them to participate in the right type of competitions.
In her own comment, General Manager of Ondo State Sports Commission, Mrs Idowu Akinbulumo has commended NSC for setting up the National Youth Games for athletes.
She said that National Youth Games were introduced to encourage early participation of children in sports through the school system.
Akinbulumo said the Games would improve the level at which the emerging talents will be prepared toward national and international tournaments. She said Ondo state’s athletes had been training under their coaches toward a successful outing in Abuja later in the year.
“I can say we will do well in Abuja. We have always been known as one of the best in the country and we will surely make Ondo State proud and retain the trust,” she said.
According to Akinbulumo, the competition is designed to balance sports, culture and education and it is strictly for young athletes under the age of 17.
—Sunday Akintoye