Ex-Athlete Makes Case For Sports Veterans, Coaches

To ensure that Rivers
State athletes perform impressively in the forthcoming National Sports Festival (NSF) tagged “paradise Games” scheduled to hold in Calabar, Cross River State in April this year, a veteran sportsman, Solomon Odikibo has called on the state Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Fred Igwe to co-opt Sports veterans and retired coaches into various associations.
Odikibo, who was a gold medalist in high jump at Nigeria Police Games, in 1988, made the call in an exclusive interview with Tidesports at the weekend. He said that one of the major factors why the state performed below expectation during major sporting competitions, was because most of those at the helm of affairs at the Sports Council may be handicapped in Sports administration.
According to him, before now coaches go out for talent hunt in primary and secondary schools and universities and groom them for competitions, but now, nobody cares much about school sports.
“It is surprising that the state can no longer produce notable athletes, because of the absence of talent hunting and harnessing.
“You can imagine where athletes do not go for tournaments, except sports festivals”, Odikibo said.
The veteran athlete noted with dismay that the activities of Sports Council are under the control of persons with less than required experiences which also adversely affect the entire administrative process.
He used the opportunity to advise sportsmen and women not to concentrate on short term gains but should consider long term prospects, adding that any up coming athlete that puts money as a priority may not achieve his or her desired goals.
“Before you make money in Sports, you must tolerate, endure and sacrifice. So many things before you will begin to reap”, he added.