Olympics: ‘Nigeria May Not Do Well In Badminton’

A former national badminton player, Tunde Agarawu, has said he is not optimistic about the future of the game in Nigeria.

He also said that Nigeria might not do well in the game in the upcoming London Olympics.

Agarawu told newsmen that the country’s badminton players might not do well at the Olympics due to inadequate preparation.

“Nigeria cannot do very well at the Olympics because it (badminton) is not a game of chance. There has to be preparation because it is not a child’s play.

“It is based on exposure and training. Nigerian players will attend three or four championships and expect to gain points. It is never done that way.

“We go to the Olympics most time by virtue of gaining a slot in Africa. They get there thinking they can scale through, not with the likes of China, the U.S. and Switzerland taking part in the game.

“I am not saying we do not have quality players but when they do not attend enough championships to gain points, how can they do well?,” he said.

The former player said that the federation needed to arrange training tours for the players.

According to him, the players need to train with well exposed foreign players to prepare them for the task ahead.

“I think it is time we had a rethink and help the players. To do well at the Olympics, we need to take our players on foreign tours, go and dump them in the midst of exposed players. That is when we can know our lapses and improve,” he said.

Agarawu also said that those with the interest of the sport at heart should be appointed to develop it.