An official of the Lagos State Badminton Association, Benjamin Orkpo, has blamed the exodus of badminton players from the state on poor welfare.

Orkpo, the head coach of the association, told newsmen in Lagos, that the state had dominated the sport for almost two decades, before it started to decline.

He said that most of the players left Lagos to develop the sport in their states of origin as they were offered employment by their State Governments.

The official said, however, that Lagos State had continued to rise again with the employment of talented players and coaches by the Lagos State Sports Council.

“Some players had to go back to their states to develop the sport and some of the states were offering them employment.

“But the situation has also improved now, because Lagos State has also started to offer employment to the players.

“The state has started paying their athletes and also offering them employment. These incentives are now holding back some players while those players outside the state are even coming back.”

He said that the players’ performances at the National Badminton Championships, scheduled for July 15 to July 20 in Ilorin, Kwara, would determine the state’s chances at the National Sports Festival.

“We have four to five months to prepare for the forthcoming Sports Festival. I am not in the right position now to say I will win 20 gold medals in the sport.

“We have a competition in Ilorin, by the time we assess other teams outside Lagos State, I will be able to determine the number of medals to be won.

“But for now, we are still preparing, and the athletes are adjusting to training,” the badminton head coach said.

Orkpo cited inadequate training facilities as a major problem facing development of sports, especially badminton in Lagos State.

“When we were in schools, primary and secondary school were provided with playing ground, but now, we don’t have playing grounds in schools.

“Almost all the play grounds have been occupied by classrooms blocks. You hardly see athletes from Ikorodu or Iyana Ipaja to come and train in Rowe Park.

“Most of the athletes that train in Rowe Park are those that live in the vicinity,” Orkpo said.