By Dare Kuti 

It's no longer news that Nigeria returned empty- handed at the just concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games with several of our medal hopefuls failing to make the podium finish. Many Nigerians expressed displeasure in Team Nigeria and wondered how the Federal Government of Nigeria would release the sum of 12 billion naira for the Olympics.

We need to set the records straight. The 12 billion is not only for the Paris 2024 Olympics (which took place between 28th July to 11th August), but also for the Paralympic Games coming up between 28th August to 8th September, 2024.

If we want to be honest with ourselves, 12 billion naira is not enough to prepare for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

ATHLETES:

I want to commend all Team Nigeria athletes who participate at this year's Olympic Games. You have shown that you are the best not only in our country (Nigeria) but in Africa. You went through a rigorous process (qualifiers) before making it to the Olympics. For the first time ever, Nigeria qualified in the canoeing event and made a comeback in the swimming event- we last featured in the swimming at the Barcelona 92 Olympics.

Most of the athletes that made up the Team Nigeria list for the Paris 2024 Olympics are basically based in Nigeria except from the women's basketball team (D’Tigress), three of the Table Tennis players and a couple athletics athletes. Despite the non availability of standard sporting facilities in the country, these home based athletes were able to compete with other African countries that possess standard facilities and qualify for the biggest sporting tournament in the World.

If you make enquiries on these home based athletes who made it to the Olympics, you will discover a large number of them are not gainfully employed; they struggle to feed, train and compete at international championships.

The only time these athletes get to receive funds are when there are National Sports Festivals, African Games and the Commonwealth Games. In fact, they are mere contract staff in various states in Nigeria.

You guys are the real MVP.

SPORTS FEDERATION 

Let me State it categorically that the current set of Sports Federation and their various Presidents have done a fantastic job by financing the activities of their Federation with little or no support from the Government. 

Most of the qualifiers the athletes attended were bankrolled by their Federation in conjunction with private individuals who are lovers of the Sports. I can count the numbers of times the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Cycling Federation of Nigeria, the Nigeria Aquatic Federation, Nigeria Basketball Federation, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation, Nigeria Volleyball Federation and other have attended series of International Tournaments with board members footing the bills 

WHO IS TO BLAME?

I will not BLAME the Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh for the country's WOEFUL PERFORMANCE at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In fact, anyone who blames the Sports Minister is an enemy of Sports. I will not also BLAME the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) led by Engineer Habu Gumel (I know I will receive a lot of condemnation from a lot of people for absorbing Alhaji Gumel). I will also exonerate the various National Sports Federations from these hullabaloo. The BLAME should go to the various 36 State Governments in Nigeria.

WHY BLAME THE STATE GOVERNORS?

I stand to be corrected by my senior colleagues, sports stakeholders and my esteemed readers. It is on record that the Federal Ministry of Sports Development (FMSD) and the National Sports Federations are not the owners of athletes which represent the country at International Championships. 

The job of the Federal Ministry of Sports is to provide FUNDS for these national athletes who will represent the country at African, Commonwealth and Olympic Games as well as monitor them. The National Sports Federations on the other hand is to ensure the best athletes are selected and field in order to bring glory to the country. The ORIGINAL OWNERS of the athletes are the State Governments.

In the past, states can openly boast of engaging top athletes and send them for national competitions but the story is no longer the same. These athletes who competed for their various states over three decades ago have become coaches/administrators and a large vacuum has been left. Sports was used as a means to gainfully employ the youth in order to shun violence but it is no longer the case. 

Most states in the country do not have basic equipment to allow athletes to train properly for International Championships. I can boastfully say that we do not have ANY STANDARD STADIA in Nigeria.

It is with a heavy heart to inform you that most athletes are passing through hell in their various states. In fact, some states do not have any athletes on their payroll either as contract staff or full staff. The coaches who train athletes these days have turned to impromptu guardians who cater for the needs of the young athletes. We practically plead with State Governors these days before they release funds for the National Youth Games and National Sports Festival. 

We must give Kudos to states like Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, River, Anambra and Kwara who make efforts in ensuring the welfare of athletes are prioritised. For a state like Kogi, they do not have any athlete under their payroll. In fact the coaches are retiring without any replacements.

WAY FORWARD ⏩ 

We must start from the bottom before getting to the top. Work must begin from the 774 Local Government Areas in this country before moving to the State Government and lastly Federal Government.

Sports must be made a priority in the Local Government Areas, Inter House sports (Primary and Secondary) should be revived; a template must be made available by sports officers to be executed by coaches. I want to ask, WHAT DO THESE SCHOOLS DO WITH THE SPORTS LEVY?

NOTE: (In the good old days, Tertiary Institutional like NUGA, NIPOGA, etc used to be a war because of the quality of athletes churned out by the secondary school but these days, they have been relegated to a child's play).

The various State Governments as a matter of urgency should organise annual Inter Local Government Sporting Competition as a means of replacing ageing athletes who can be converted to coaches. The State Government MUST STOP giving their loyalist Commissioner For Youths and Sports Development as well as SA on Sports (appointments). Professionals like NAPHER-SD, Ex Internationals or competent sports administrators MUST be appointed. The era of compensation “Your Boy's” with the Sports Appointment must come to an end.

Competent, Reliable and sports loving individuals with innovative ideas should be appointed/selected/chosen/voted into the various Sports Association across the 36 States of the Federation. I'll re-echo my statement again: Football is not the only sport in Nigeria). Football enjoys huge funds from the various State Governments while other sports do not get or have access to funds not until they want to attend National Youth Games/National Sports Festivals. How do we encourage these athletes?

I am using this opportunity to appeal to the various State Governors to employ athletes who won medals at the 13th African Games as well as the various jobless Olympians into the State Civil service. 

To the Federal Government, I am hoping in the near future, the next Sports Minister will be an individual who is an outstanding sports administrator who is tested and trusted. We have lots of sports administrators scattered across the six Geopolitical zones and capable of changing the fortune of sports in the country.

The current Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh came into office September 2023 and we should not expect magic from him. 

As a matter of urgency, the Sports Bill at the National Assembly must be attended to in order to avert further crisis in sports. There is a need for a Public Private Partnership in sports as the Government cannot do it alone. 

The next Olympic Games is in Los Angeles by 2028. Naturally athletes who are medal prospects should begin their journey but because of the peculiar state of sports in the country, we can't. Even if Senator John Enoh begins something, what is the assurance he will remain Sports Minister in the next three years due to the elections. This is one of the reasons why some sections of the Sports are clamouring for the return of the National Sports Commission.

Another major issue is that we make a budget for the Olympics during the year it's going to take place which is totally WRONG. You can imagine athletes getting their training grants weeks to the Olympics. We need to activate the National Lottery Fund or have a special intervention funds for the Olympics where the public can donate funds for Team Nigeria athletes planning for the Games.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION:

I want to special recognize the Military, ParaMilitary and Nigeria Police Force for always employing excelling sportsmen and women. If not for these organisations, a lot of Nigeria athletes who have been on the street begging for funds to feed their families.

In most of the various National Sports Championships, you'll discover that these security organisations always field athletes to compete for glory. Our gold medallist at the Atlanta 96 Olympics, DCP Chioma Ajunwa (MON) retired, got rapid promotion in the Police Force for making the country proud. Same is applicable to other excelling athletes. 

The private sector is another major contributor to the development of sports in the country. Because of the current situation we have found ourselves, the corporate bodies are pulling out due to integrity. We need to win the hearts of the private investors if sports will grow in the country. 

SILENT ACHIEVER/INVESTORS:

These sets of people want to remain anonymous and don't want to be mentioned in the public domain. I will not talk about them but they are also MVPs

THE MEDIA:

A lot of athletes, coaches, sports administration, Commissioners and Ministers take the media (Sports Journalists) for granted. The media always fight for the cause of the Sports industry but gets abandoned when everything is rosy. The media are like side chicks who the husbands run to whenever they are not happy or stranded.

We must respect the media because they are the voice of the people. There must be a good synergy between the actors and the media. 

THE END?

This is not the end of this segment because we are preparing for the Paralympic Games which comes up on August 28th. 

Let us rally round the para athletes as they seek to wipe away the shame of the Nation. 

NATIONAL YOUTH GAMES 

The 2024 National Youth Games comes up in Asaba, Delta State from 11th to 21st September. I am begging the sports stakeholders in the various States to appeal to their Government through the Director or Sports/Commissioners to ensure the athletes are properly taken care of. I want to make a special plea to the Zamfara State not to miss this year's edition.

Sporting Regards,
Dare Kuti