NSF: Before The New Policy Takes Off

The Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission, (NSC), Malam Bolaji Abdullahi said at the opening ceremony of the 18th National Sports Festival, (NSF), tagged Eko 2012, that subsequent festivals would be open to both professional and amateur athletes from Nigeria.

The decision, according to the Minister, would raise the quality of the festival, attract sponsorship and avail the country of the opportunity of selecting its best athletes before major international competitions. The response by Nigerians and sports analysts has been mixed and contentious.

While some analysts want the Minister to rescind the decision, some people think that the new policy has some benefits. Some others suggest that it would favour only states with enough resources to recruit top athletes.

The Tide believes that either of the positions have their merits, but Nigeria should be clear about what it hopes to achieve in and with sports in settling for anyone.

The major concern should be that which would engender the effective development of the sports in a way that would ensure the discovery, harnessing and selection of sports men and women that can fly the country’s flag at international meets.

Beyond serving as a means of international interface and economic development, sports can help the way of life of our people in ways that can promote health, peace and healthy rivalry.

We cannot, but agree on the need to tinker with our sports development policy, especially, following the country’s disappointing outing at the London 2012 Olympic Games and other recent competitions.

Already, apart from the barring of professionals at the National Sports Festivals, the existing rule that no one could participate for more than three editions of the festival can also be limiting.

Several talents have been wasted or discouraged by this proviso. Instead of acquiring more experience and developing further in their chosen disciplines, such atheletes so barred by the appearance clause are forced to abandon their favourite sports and denied the opportunity to attain their best.

Nigeria, thus, is denied the opportunity of having a good stable of athletes developed and grounded in one discipline and endowed with cognate experience which would put them in good stead at international competitions.

For Nigeria to really exploit her endowments and sports development policy, stakeholders must jaw-jaw and agree on the best policy that can drive the sports sector. It is certainly not enough to hoist a particular policy on the people, but the views of technocrats and other stakeholders must be taken into consideration.

Also, in order for Nigeria to take her place in sports development and excellence, conscious efforts must be made to ensure that sports meets at grassroots, intermediate and senior levels are introduced annually at school, local government and state levels with a view to identifying and encouraging new talents.

We believe that by the time sports policies in the country favour the development of infrastructure and grooming of new talents, allegations that some states depend on hiring ready – made athletes from other states to represent them will be over, and the desperate desire to win at all cost during the sports festivals will abate.