Veteran Sportsman Wants Retired Athletes Employed

Veteran sportsman,
Solomon Odikibo has appeal the Rivers State Government through the state Ministry of Sports to engage retired athletes for coaching jobs.
Odikibo who was a silver medalist in high-jump at the Rivers 1988 Sports Festival stated that the state have retired talented athletes that can coach upcoming athletes.
The veteran made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Tidesports yesterday in Port Harcourt, saying that retired athletes are supposed to be employed as coaches to enhance sports development and discover hidden talents at the grassroots.
According to him, the idea of the state Sports Council to hire coaches on contract anytime there is sporting activities in a complete waste of available resources.
“I am appealing to the state government to employ retired athletes as coaches, because there are capable and competent retired athletes that can do better than those coaches taken on contract.
“Honestly, it is just a waste of resources, because there are people who are ready to go to the rural areas to discover talents with little or nothing”, Odikibo said.
He used the forum to commend the governor of the state Barrister Nyesom Wike, for renovating part of Alfred Diete-Spiff Sports Complex, in Port Harcourt, adding that the renovation has given the complex a facelift.
“The renovation has given ample opportunity for athletes to train, as some of the sporting facilities are now put in place for usage”, he added.