Relocating NISports To Abuja, Needless – Ali

Former national long jump champion Yusuf Ali has criticised the proposed relocation of the National Institute of Sports (NISports), Lagos, to Abuja by the government, saying it is needless.

Ali, who made the assertion in Lagos at the weekend  while reacting to the proposal, said the location of an educational institution did not matter but its course content and its products.

It will be recalled that the Minister of Sports, Taoheed Adedoja, had earlier this month outlined plans to relocate NISports to Abuja and convert its structure in Lagos to a hotel.

He said, however, that the government’s planned review of the institution’s course content to make it more viable was in the right direction.

He said the committee constituted by Adedoja for the review was unnecessary as the institution had a blueprint when it was established.

“The government should revert to the original blueprint of the institute rather than setting up a committee to review the course content.

“The efficiency of an institution has nothing to do with its location. Must every organisation be located in Abuja? Surely not!

“We have seen the negative effect of the incessant relocation of sports federations to Abuja. I need not inundate you with how it quickened the decline in our sports,” Ali said.

He said the institute’s potential had not been fully realised because it had deviated from its original vision.

He said that the training programmes at NISports should be upgraded and that emphasis should be on practical work rather than theory alone.

The 1990 Auckland Commonwealth long jump gold medalist called for the engagement of qualified coaches to improve on the quality of its course content and graduates.

“NISports is too theory-oriented in its programmes; the operators of the institute must endeavour to balance their training schedule to include practical work the way it is originally envisioned.

“Classroom work should run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., while practical work should commence from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“That was how the institute ran its training programmes in those days and practical work was paramount in the scheme of things,” he said.

Ali added that the lack of a succession plan after the departure of the erstwhile expatriate trainers led to the dearth of teaching personnel with the requisite expertise.

“What we have in place today leaves much to be desired as it is not befitting for an institution of NISports stature,” Ali said.