‘Only Miracle Can Give Nigeria Olympic Medal’a

A former coach of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tobias Igwe, has said that long-term preparation was the key to winning medals at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Igwe told the newsmen in Lagos that it would be a “rare miracle” for the country to get a medal.

He wondered why there was no articulated programme for Team Nigeria’s preparation for the Olympics.

“It’s going to be a tough on Team Nigeria to get any medal, the short time approach is wrong, it’s not working; if they win any medal it would be through sheer luck.

“Countries whose athletes win medals effortlessly at global sports events like the Olympics do so through long-term programmes with the athletes peaking at the right moment,” he said.

Igwe added that it would be difficult for any athlete to achieve good results on their own without the input of a trainer.

The coach lamented the lack of progress in the area of grass roots sports development which he described as the nursery for budding talents.

On how grass roots sports development can enhance the quality of athletes and produce world class athletes, he said the coaches need to reacquaint and update themselves.

He urged the country’s track and field coaches to put more effort in their quest for nascent and stressed the need for regular refresher course for Games Masters in schools.

“The game masters are the closest link to this students, it is whatever knowledge he has that will determine what the student knows, and most of them don’t know the rudiments of the discipline they cover,” he said.

Igwe lamented the politicisation of grass roots sports development in the country which he described as a “cog in the wheel of its progress.

“The politics practised in the federation has affected its well being that’s why grassroots sports development is being retarded; politics has taken its toll.

“I was able to discover Mary Onyali, Henry Amike and Clement Chukwu and others too numerous to mention. I did not waver because I was after talents and wanted the best of the youngsters, see what they have become,” he said.