Field Events: Coach Tasks States On Talents Discovery

A retired national
athletics coach, Amelia Edet, has tasked state associations to assist the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to scout for talents who would be nurtured to stardom.
Edet told newsmen in Lagos that there was an urgent need to scout for aspiring talents due to the decline of athletes in the field events.
“Most of the coaches that are responsible for the field events are now moving to the sprints.
“They say that they will work with the athletes and that they do not get to take them out for competitions.
“But if the athletes are doing very well and meet standard, I see no reason why they will not be taken out.
“I just feel that field events coaches should be up and doing instead of thinking the way out is to move to sprints,” she said.
She also stressed the need to improve school sports, saying that such improvement would help to replace athletes like Blessing Okagbare in the nearest future.
“What will happen if Blessing starts to give birth and she decides to take a little rest away from athletics? We should begin to look ahead, go back to the schools but unfortunately the school authorities are not helping issues.
“The schools are not doing what they should be doing. There were programmes for sports in schools then and a lot of us started from the primary to the secondary schools,” she said.
Edet was honoured by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) during its 47th Congress in Berlin for her commitment and service to Track and Field.