18th National Sports Festival “Eko 2012” Director Seeks Removal Of Age Limit

A retired athlete, Mr Joshua Kio, has urged sports administrators in the country to give all Nigerian athletes the opportunity to showcase their talents at the National Sports Festival (NSF) by removing all unnecessary barriers.

Kio gave the advice in an interview with the newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday.

He said as long as athletes were resident in Nigeria, they should be allowed to participate in such fiestas.

Kio, who participated in the maiden edition of the fiesta in Lagos in 1973, maintained that putting a limit to the age of participants in the fiesta would run counter to sports development.

The former athlete, who is currently the Director, Sports Institute, Isaka in Okirika Local Government Area of the state, said if participation was based on age limit, so many talents in the country would waste.

“At the National Sports Festival level, I think the status quo should remain where it is not now brought back to age categorisation again. Let it remain the way it is for senior. As long as you are strong; I mean there should not be limiting barrier. It should open for all senior athletes as long as you are resident in Nigeria; not the one you go and bring outside; I don’t subscribe to that.

“As long as you are a Nigerian, there should be no limitation. It’s a measure of development, if I was in long jump for 17 years or more and there was nobody to push me up, it means that that particular event is static.

“But if there is developmental programme and new athletes are being brought up, it means that within a short time, they should push me away and new ones should take over.

“Somebody who has the natural tendency remains in a particular sport for so long. It is an indication that there is no development in that particular event or sport.

“So the state cannot now say it will stop somebody from participating because they know he or she has been participating and can always win. I can be 40 years and still beat all these small boys.”

Kio said that he participated in three sports, including long jump, 4×100 metres relay, and 110 metres hurdles