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Olympic Games: Putting Nigeria On Road To Redemption

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Contd from Friday

IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY

That is the objective.

To achieve it requires a two-pronged strategy: the first, a
short-term, top-down approach and the second a long-term, bottom-up approach.

In the short term, current elite athletes like Okagbare,
Chika Chukwumerije and the very improved basketball team for instance will get
funding and assistance to maintain and improve on their current performance
levels.

Where they drop below acceptable standards, they lose their
elite status and their funding shifted elsewhere.

But the nuts and bolts of this whole programme will be based
on the long term strategy.

That is where, again, the minister has it spot on. A
structured, sustained, year-round calendar of sporting activities for schools
from primary through secondary and all the way to university level is the key.

In the USA, there is a working template to be borrowed and
tweaked to suit our circumstances.

In a country of arguably 150 million people, it is hard to
fathom that there are no talents capable of being nurtured into world-class
athletes.

These talents must be identified at that young age through
school sports, helped along the way to developing that talent with structured,
world-class training, proper funding and continued assistance and monitoring of
their development every step of the way.

Progress must be measured at regular intervals with key
objectives set and met every step of the way.

Long term, a world-class sports training facility must be
built within the country.

To assure maintenance, such a facility is best built, owned
and operated privately, and rented out, clad in impenetrable cast-iron
contract, at break-even costs to the NSC or sporting federations.

In the short to medium term, however, these athletes should
be sent on scholarships to countries where their particular sport has the best
personnel and equipment.

The USA, China and Russia come to mind.

DEVELOP A WINNING MENTALITY

After the women’s 100m final, word went around that
Nigerians should draw consolation from having Okagbare as the eighth fastest
woman in the world.

The insane absurdity of that statement absolutely defies
comprehension.

But that is the sort of defeatist mentality with which we
roll at the moment.

To understand the attitude that wins medals, one has to read
former athlete Enefiok Udo-Obong’s book ‘The Silver Lining’, then go back and
watch him race at Sydney 2000.

The book chronicles Udo-Obong’s focused fixation on athletic
and academic success, even as a strapping young kid.

In Sydney, Udo-Obong was handed the baton in the final lap
of the 4x400m relay with four runners ahead of him.

He could have given up, just run to fulfil all
righteousness. Instead, an asthmatic young man, determined to win, conjured up
every last iota of strength to make a push for gold.

Watch the last few seconds of that relay.

See how Udo-Obong strained every last sinew, stretched every
last muscle, and nearly exploded his heart in a lung-bursting sprint to the
tape

By the 200m mark he had overtaken two runners. On the home
stretch, he had whistled past a third.

The whole country was screaming, running with him by the
time he dipped his head just behind the American, who won gold.

I still get goose-bumps reliving that race.

Now, 12 years on, that silver has turned to gold, because
one of the Americans was caught using drugs, and the team disqualified.

That is the reward for a winning mentality. That video needs
to be shown in schools, to young aspiring athletes all over the country

And Udo-Obong himself should be invited to give motivational
speeches to these kids.

That is how to build winners.

POTENTIAL ROADBLOCKS AND PITFALLS

However much anyone wants to believe in the opposite, none
of these will happen without opposition.

The ministry, and the federations are populated with people
who benefit from this broken system.

These people will fight their hardest, in every single
sneaky, backstabbing way to derail any plan to fix the rot and deny them the
benefits of their gravy train.

It is the reason why a house clearing must happen before any
of this can work.

Too many people have been there too many decades and know no
other way to do things.

Some are so backward email sounds like Greek to them.
Operating a database or other digital systems will probably lead to cardiac
arrests.

Keeping them will stymie, even kill the process.

They have to go. Minister Abdullahi MUST embark on
house-cleaning. It is the only way to make a fresh start.

PROJECTION

Results may not show at the next Olympics. He would be
foolish who would expect it to.

Whatever successes, if any, are recorded at Rio 2016 should
be considered a bonus. The real, realistic target should be 2020.

There is never a better time to start than the present.
Otherwise, four years from now, we will return to this same finish line,
wondering why we finished last.

Again.

Concluded

Udoh writes for KickoffNigeri.Com

 

Colin Udoh

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La Liga: Atletico Bring Real Back To Earth

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Atletico Madrid scored five goals against city rivals Real for the first time in nearly 75 years when they fought back from behind in a pulsating derby.

It was only the fourth time Atletico had scored at least five in a Madrid derby, the last occasion being a 6-3 victory in November 1950.

Real lost for the first time this season, having won all six of their opening La Liga matches as well as their first Champions League tie, a 2-1 victory over Marseille.

The last time Real conceded as many in La Liga was a 5-1 defeat by Barcelona in October 2018.

Robin le Normand’s header had given Diego Simeone’s side an early lead that was overturned by superb goals from Kylian Mbappe and Arda Guler.

But Alexander Sorloth levelled the game at 2-2 in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

And the hosts took charge after the break when Julian Alvarez, who had hit the post in the first half, converted from the penalty spot before curling home a brilliant free-kick.

Atletico went into their shell, but held their cross-city rivals at bay until Antoine Griezmann grabbed their fifth goal deep into stoppage time.

The result maintained an impressive record against Real in La Liga for Simeone’s side, who have not lost in their past six league encounters with Los Blancos.

PSG Regain Top Position In France (7)

Paris St-Germain returned to the top of Ligue 1 with a comfortable victory over Auxerre at the weekend.

Illia Zabarnyi scored his first goal for the club since his summer move from Bournemouth when he volleyed in at the back post from Vitihna’s cross at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

The home side doubled their lead when Lucas Beraldo headed home from Senny Mayulu’s cross.

PSG moved above Marseille, who beat them on Monday, as they made it five wins from their opening six league matches.

Auxerre had their chances, with a fierce shot from Kevin Danois striking the woodwork and Sekou Mara having a header cleared off the line.

There were further opportunities for Luis Enrique’s side but Achraf Hakimi’s dink was ruled out for offside and Bradley Barcola sent a header over the bar.

Auxerre are 13th in the table with four defeats from six matches.

PSG travel to Barcelona on Wednesday in their second Champions League group stage match.

Before the PSG match, Marseille scored two late goals to move level on points with hosts Strasbourg and go top of Ligue 1 on goal difference.

Strasbourg looked on track to move four points clear at the top until the 78th minute as Abdoul Ouattara’s goal had them ahead.

But former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbed the equaliser, and Amir Murillo completed the turnaround as the clock ticked into added time.

Aubameyang was first to the rebound following his own shot to level the score after goalkeeper Mike Penders spilled the initial shot.

Penders, on loan from Chelsea, seemed to have done better in stoppage time when he tipped substitute Robinio Vaz’s header onto the crossbar, but the rebound landed with Murillo.

Marseille were top with five teams all on 12 points, including Strasbourg who were in fifth place.

Kane Sets Elite Scoring Record With Bayern  (5)

Harry Kane scored twice in Bayern Munich’s win over Werder Bremen last Friday to become the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a club playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

The England captain won and converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time, before firing home from close range in the 65th minute to reach the century mark in just 104 games.

The previous record of 105 games was set by Cristiano Ronaldo while playing for Real Madrid in 2011, and matched by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland last year.

Former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz had opened the scoring when he deflected in a Jonathan Tah flick from a corner, while Konrad Laimer slipped home a late fourth as leaders Bayern preserved their unbeaten start to the season.

Kane broke two other records in his side’s 4-1 victory against Hoffenheim last weekend, during which he scored a hat-trick.

He reached 70 Bundesliga goals in just his 67th game in the competition, faster than anyone else in the league’s history.

Previously, the 32-year-old broke the record for the most goals scored in 50 Bundesliga games (54 goals), and the fewest number of games needed to reach 50 goals in the competition (43 matches).

On Friday, Kane also became the first player in Bundesliga history to convert their first 18 penalties, as well as score 18 consecutive spot-kicks.

Kane was the first player in Bundesliga history to finish top scorer in both his first two seasons, and the only player to score 25 or more goals in their first two campaigns in the competition.

He has started this campaign with 15 in eight games in all competitions – including two hat-tricks in five Bundesliga games, with Vincent Kompany’s side top of the league table with a 100% record.

Kane is the highest scoring Englishman in Champions League history (42 goals), and scored against all 20 teams he has faced in the Bundesliga.

Only Miroslav Klose has played against more sides, while scoring against all of them (28).

Kane joined Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in a £100m transfer in 2023, having scored 280 goals in 435 games in all competitions for the Premier League club.

He has two years remaining on the four-year contract he signed with the Munich outfit, although he has recently been linked with former club Spurs and Manchester United.

But when asked on Friday if he was thinking of a Premier League return, Kane said: “No, not at the moment. I’m really happy here. I have two years left on my contract.

“I’m enjoying every moment. That is not in my thought process. I’m enjoying it with the team, with the coach, and hopefully we continue to be successful.”

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Forest Still Looking For Winning Formula 

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Ange Postecoglou’s difficult start to life as Nottingham Forest head coach continued as Omar Alderete’s first-half goal gave Sunderland victory at the City Ground.

The former Spurs boss, appointed on 9 September, has now lost three and drawn two of his first five games in charge, with Saturday’s loss coming in his first home game with Forest.

But the hosts will feel aggrieved by the manner of Sunderland’s winner, with the visitors awarded a free-kick when Nicolas Dominguez was penalised for simulation when he clashed with Trai Hume while attempting to clear.

Grant Xhaka sent the ball in from the set-piece and Alderete was there to direct it into the net.

Dan Ndoye came close to equalising just before the break with a deflected effort before Chris Wood headed over.

Elliot Anderson curled a shot just over the bar as Forest pushed for the leveller in the second half, while Robin Roefs, who has been excellent for Sunderland so far this season – saved well from Omari Hutchinson, Wood and a long-range Anderson effort.

But despite the pressure, Forest could not find a goal as promoted Sunderland’s third win of the season moved them up to third in the table.

Forest, meanwhile, are 16th with just one win from their first six Premier League games.

 

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Man Utd Lose, Again 

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Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes had a second-half penalty saved as Ruben Amorim’s side slipped to a Premier League defeat at Brentford at the weekend.

United were trying to fight their way back after Igor Thiago capitalised on some shambolic United defending inside the first 20 minutes to give the home side a two-goal cushion.

Benjamin Sesko pulled one back with his first goal since making a £74m summer move from RB Leipzig.

Fernandes was given the chance to level when Bees captain Nathan Collins dragged former Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo back inside the area.

After a delay of almost five minutes, which included a video assistant referee red card check against Collins and Brentford making two substitutions, Fernandes’ low effort was turned away by Caoimhin Kelleher.

Brentford wrapped it up deep in stoppage time when Mathias Jensen drove a high shot past United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from the edge of the area.

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