C/wealth Games, Football And The Neglect Of Other Sports

By Tayo Ogunbiyi

The recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, represents one of the finest hours in the annals of Nigeria’s participation at international sporting tourney.  Our eighth position placement on the final medal table with 11 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze, however, meant that Team Nigeria could not surpass the 11 gold, 8 silver and 14 bronze won in India in the 2010 edition, thus making the 1994 edition in Victoria where the team won 11 gold, 13 silver and 13 bronze medals as the best performance so far. Nevertheless, the heroics of new track Queen, Blessing Okagbare, who set a new Games Record in the 100m Women’ s event,  in addition to completing a sprint double with victory in the 200m, will remain indelible in the memories of sports lovers across the world.

Curiously, football which has for long been the most pampered sport in the country did not even feature at the games in Scotland. Globally, football is generally referred to as the king of sports. Without doubt, it is a sport that commands, perhaps, the greatest followers among all other sports in the world. In Nigeria, for instance, football is followed passionately with soccer loving fans fanatically supporting various European football clubs as well as the different national teams. It is, however, sad that while most countries develop other sports alongside football, the reverse is the case in Nigeria. While huge resources are often expended by government on football, other sports such as swimming, weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, athletics, table tennis, lawn tennis, basketball, volleyball, rugby, cricket, badminton, handball, hockey, judo, taekwondo, karate, among numerous others, regrettably suffer from dearth of funds. Corporate sponsors are equally guilty of same as they mostly prefer bankrolling football events at the expense of other sports.

Sadly, this over concentration on football at the expense of  other sports have impacted negatively on the country’s performance at most international sporting meets. At the 2012 Olympics in London, for instance, Nigeria did not win a single medal; a clear proof of the dwindling state of other sports in the country. Ironically, while a nation is only guaranteed a medal in the football event, at the Olympics and other international tourneys, as much as thirty medals could be won by a country just between swimming and weight-lifting.      Locally, while we have a fairly functional national football league in addition to other soccer competitions at various levels, such could hardly be said of other sports. Hitherto prominent sports such as basketball, volleyball, lawn tennis, boxing, wrestling and others that used to attract huge followers in the country are presently experiencing systematic extinction.  Perhaps more pathetic is the case of boxing which is the sport that first put the country’s name on the world map. It is sad that boxing is currently experiencing a declining fortune in the country. Paradoxically, long before football became popular in our clime, boxing had brought in more laurels to Nigeria. Boxers such as Nojeem Mayegun (the first Nigerian boxer to win an Olympic medal in boxing), Isaac Ikhuoria, Peter Konyegwachie and David Izonretei, had at various times won Olympic medals for Nigeria in boxing.

 While members of the Super Eagles and other national soccer teams are often spoilt beyond description when preparing for major football events, athletes from other sports are often left on their own. Presently, the Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has secured a new contract that sees him earn more than his former N5 million a month. In contrast, however, no one knows or even cares to know what other sports’ coaches earn in the country.

A visit to the various stadia in the country would surely reveal the pathetic condition of athletes preparing to represent the country in major sporting events as they train in most awful conditions, sometimes depending on support from family members, friends among others. Indeed, it is always difficult to secure the needed fund for these athletes to attend major tourneys. Funny enough, since 1994, when we secured our first World Cup ticket, to date, we are yet to go beyond the second round of the global soccer event.

The implication of neglecting other sports is far too grievous. We inadvertently shut the door against the talents of thousands of Nigerians who would have used same as escape route from poverty. Globally, sports have become a huge industry through which lots of youths have gotten fame and fortune. Therefore, developing and investing in other sports is one sure way of empowering the youths and other professionals (such as doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, athlete managers, etc.)  in the various sporting fields to become productively engaged. In this time of youth restiveness and national insecurity, encouraging youths to take to sports would surely be of immense benefit to the country.

Therefore, concentrating much attention and resources on football alone, to the detriment of other sports, is counterproductive. If we are to offer the teeming youth in the country an opportunity to fulfil their God given potentials, we must change our attitude to sports. We need to shun the trend that favours football over other sports. There are so many sports that every youth in this country could easily take up and excel in. Governments at various levels have to evolve policies and strategies that would encourage the development of such sports.

 It is a shame that after the exit of the likes of Nduka Odizor and David Imonitie, the game of lawn tennis has virtually died in the country. If Richard Williams, the father of celebrated American lawn tennis stars, Serena and Venus Williams, could single-handedly turn the duo into world beaters, with the right policy and programmes, there is no reason why we should not be able to train and raise potential world lawn tennis champions in the next ten years.

 Similarly, the private sector needs to take more active role in the project to restore the nation’s lost glory in sports. All over the world, the initiatives and funds that drive sports come from the private sector. With the needed private sector drive, moribund school sports competitions across the country could be resuscitated. This is the only way we could build on our successful performance at Glasgow. This is the way forward.

 •Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa-Ikeja