‘Inadequate Preperations, Reason For Nigeria’s Poor Performance’

The dismal performace for the Nigerian contingents in the
on-going 2012 London Olympic Games has been blamed on late preparations, lack
of modern facilities as well as the Nigerian factor.

A sports enthusiast and former President of Port Harcourt
club, Steve Isokariari made the assertion in a chat with sports journalists in
Port Harcourt, recently.

Isokariari said there was nothing wrong with the contingents
as most of them are well grounded in their games but faulted the authority’s
inability to give the athletes adequate and early training opportunities prior
to the games.

He therefore advised the National Sports to go back to the
drawing board in order to come out with broad-based programmes that would
ensure that Nigeria wins medals in future games.

Isokariari also advocated for the reintroduction of schools
sports in order to catch them young and groom for national and international
sports competitions.

Isokariari, who was an athletic champion in Rivers State
noted that the country had talented athletes and footballers during the
administration of Samuel Ogbemudia of Old Mid-Western State and Alfred
Diete-Spiff of Old Rivers State as the state built modern stadia to boost
sports and called on the government to grant sports investors and sponsors tax
free opportunities to enable corporate organizations and spirited individuals promote
sports in the country.