This is the second time in my entire career with the Pointer Newspaper that I will be making use of this headline to reflect my good job and that of other writers in shaping the sports world.
For those who are new to this title, I got the motivation to re-examine sports men and women who turned deaf ears to suggestions which would have made their work easier, but they saw us as enemies. They are the birds sports writers sing for everyday but make no meaning. My father who spent over fifty years in Aramoko- Ekiti where he became a big farmer uses songs to motivate himself whenever he was on duty.
Unlike nowadays, sports men and women, especially footballers wait for supporters to sing for them before they can perform, my father does not wait for anybody, rather he would sing to motivate himself to do more.
However, something happens which was well noted by those in the farm. The birds who heard my father sing would be so thrilled that they danced to the tune even though it made no meaning to them. You would see the birds making noise, flying here and there, enjoying the freedom that God has provided for them. Nobody threatens them. Nobody sees them as a threat, thus it is their free world. To my father, all he wantsed was a thorough job, devoid of distraction, all to achieve his aim of going to the farm on that day. To Sports writers, all they want is joy that would come from the expected victory; hence, they sit down day and night to proffer solutions to our lingering sports sector.
Like the acronym of Governor Sheriff MORE Agenda to do more for the people, sports writers want more from the people and want to write more for them. When a team loses half way in a tournament, a sports writer’s job becomes more difficult for he has to look elsewhere to get information.
However, much as the “gentlemen of the press” works harder, it makes no meaning to those who should take the messages as their own holy book.
The preponderance at which sports administrators take things for granted shows that all the messages from us makes no meaning to them. It is like their hearts are hardened like that of Pharaoh who despite repeated warnings to allow the Israelites go refused and eventually got consumed.
If the sports administrators are not really behaving like the birds in my father’s farm, who would have thought that Nigeria with a population of over 230,000,000 would be struggling against the minnows of Africa. Who in this World would believe that our U-17 male team would not attend the World Cup for the third time in a row? Aside the qualifications of our various teams, who would have thought that only a few handful of people, would still be voting for who becomes the head of Nigerian Football Federation? For years, ports writers have been crying from the wilderness on the need to amend the status to enable all the stakeholders participate in the election that would usher in fresh people.
It is really disheartening to see sports facilities rot away in various stadia across the country, especially the National Stadium, Surulere. Many sports facilities are in a state of decay, lacking the basic equipment necessary for proper training and development.
It is on record that there is a lack of funding for most sports, with a disproportionate focus on irrelevant projects which cannot help the youths. A weak financial foundation contributes to the ongoing deterioration of infrastructure and support systems in the sports sector. It is sad to see our sports heroes wallowing in abject poverty, neglected and begging to make ends meet. Who would have thought that Nigerian athletes would be regretting putting green white green jerseys and prefer some lowly rated countries in Africa?
Today, Nigeria, the giant of Africa is a laughing stock before the World. The question is ‘when shall we get it right? When shall we really be serious and put into consideration the various views from concerned sports writers?
It is pertinent to state at this juncture that Nigeria is not lacking when it comes to human resources, so where is the problem coming from. A school of thought believes we should not mix politics with sports, but appoint technocrats to man technically inclined positions. There is a disconnect between education and sports, hindering the holistic development of the sector. Major problems confronting sports in Nigeria includes corruption which is rampant, lack of adequate funding, poor infrastructure, a weak grassroots development system, poor coaching and talent management.
Indefensible practices like bribery and favouritism are prevalent, preventing the best people from occupying positions and also preventing talented athletes from being selected for national teams. Others include societal pressure and stigma affecting athletes, leading to many of them wanting to transfer their services to other countries.
These factors collectively hinder the growth of sports, reduce fan engagement and prevent talents from reaching their full potential. To the sports writers, they should not relent from pursuing that which is good as rewards await them.
Warri Wolves and Hiring of Coaches
The sack of Coach Aluma from Warri Wolves jolted me because of his role in bringing the club back to the NPFL. The truth is that the name of the game is that of hiring and firing hence in the last one week, three coaches from Kwara United, Bendel Insurance and Warri Wolves have lost their jobs based on their last performances. In Europe, the song of the same with as many as five gone in the last one week.
However, I will openly advise against hiring any of the much-touted recylining set of coaches as they have nothing to offer. Most of them in the past relied on the power of the Naira to win games but the trend has changed to an extent.
I will therefore warn against bringing any new coach to mount the saddle now but rally round the interim coach, Johhny Austin who won his first match away last week to continue the good job he has started. He knows the players very well and was part of the recruitment team.
To Coach Johhny, do not allow the away win to go into your head, rather you should prove people wrong, that the away victory was no fluke and you have all it takes to do the job.
