Coach Urges AFN To Strengthen Talent Discovery, Grooming

A former Chief Coach (Athletics) with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Amelia Edet,  has appealed to the federation not to relent in the discovery and grooming of talents at the grassroots.

Edet told newsmen  in Lagos that discovering and nurturing talents was the surest way for Nigeria to regain its lost glory in athletics in international competitions.

“In the next five years, if the federation maintains its discovery and nurturing of talents with the staging of regular competitions, the sport will certainly develop immensely.

“However, the welfare of the young athletes has to be taken into serious consideration, to have good athletes to represent the country at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and beyond,“ she said.

The coach noted that serious nations hardly recycled athletes, saying that recycling the same old athletes usually slows down the growth of sports generally.

“If we want to develop sports, recycling of athletes should be stopped. When an athlete gets to retirement stage, such should not be allowed to remain in the competitive stage.

“Recycling the same athletes hinders sports development,’’ she added.

She also canvassed the development of school sports for an enhanced overall development of sports, saying sports fortunes had greatly dwindled in the country due to the neglect of schools sports.

“All what I am saying is that we should go back to the schools. A lot of athletes were discovered from the primary and secondary schools,’’ Edet said.

She stressed the need for athletes to combine sports with education, saying that if athletes made money without formal education, they may not be able to spend the money wisely.

“If you make money and you do not have anything in your head, how will you be able to spend the money judiciously?’’ she wondered.

According to her, such an athlete will soon go bankrupt and will be left with nothing.