UK Sprinter Tasks NSC On Talents

U.K based Nigerian sprinter, Funsho Joseph, has advised the National Sports Commission (NSC) to nurture talents discovered in order to develop sports.

Joseph, a top sprinter in the British Army Academy, told newsmen in Lagos that though talents abound, the country was yet to realise its potentials in sports.

“Talents abound in this country, my coach in the U.K. testified to this but the problem we have is that most athletes are not nurtured even after they have been discovered,” he said.

The sprinter said that if the country was desirous of its athletes excelling at the All Africa Games, their welfare needed to be adequately taken care of to boost their morale.

Joseph appealed to government to give the same attention devoted to football to other sports.

Meanwhile, an athletics coach, Dennis Joseph, has advised the NSC to ensure early camping of athletes to avoid failure at the games.

He said: “We should learn to stop using fire-brigade approach in this country; we know we have talents, but when the right thing is not done, how do we expect good result?”

Joseph, who is assisting the Lagos State Amateur Athletics Association, advised that selected athletes should be camped immediately after the National Sports Festival and should undertake a training tour.

“We should not wait till two weeks before the Games, athletes should be called to camp immediately after the National Sports Festival to boost our chances in Mozambique in September,” he said.

The coach also said that whatever was promised the athletes as allowances should be paid to them promptly to avoid unnecessary distraction at the Games.