29th September, 2016
A former Director-General, National Sports Commission, Amos Adamu, has said that saddling non-professionals with sports administration is the bane of Nigeria’s sports development.
Adamu spoke to newsmen in Ilorin on Thursday at the ongoing National Youth Games.
He said that many administrators saddled with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of the nation’s sports had no technical know-how to succeed.
Adamu appealed to the Federal Government to employ professionals to handle sports management.
He said that some of Nigerian coaches lacked the required technical knowledge to train athletes.
“Some of our coaches know the new rules, but they don’t apply techniques to athletes; this makes it difficult for our athletes to compete with their counterparts internationally.
“We have to change our ways and address these problems; if we don’t change, we will be coming down and down,” Adamu said.
The former CAF and FIFA executive member attributed to indiscipline, the crisis between the Amaju Pincik-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Chris Giwa to indiscipline.
“When you allow indiscipline to gain access into a place what you have within such a system will be indiscipline.”
He urged those involved in the crisis to resolve it amicably in the interest of sports development.
The former D-G urged sports administrators to be open to athletes and tell them the truth at all times.
He appealed to them to desist from going to competitions without enough money to avoid causing embarrassment to the country.
“When you don’t have money and or sponsors, tell the government. If the government does not give you money, don’t go.
“In Nigeria, we don’t have the habit of sponsorship, other African countries have enduring sports sponsorship policy,’’ he said.