Plans are already on top gear ahead of National Youth Games (NYG) and National Sports Festival (NSF) scheduled to take place in September and November, respectively.The man at the centre of organising these sporting fiestas especially NYG,recently spoke of challenges and successes recorded. PAUL OKAH downloads them here. Excerpts
Funding problem in sports
We are all Nigerians and we want quick returns in whatever thing we are doing. Apart from the fact that the budget for both events is not yet out, it is making it difficult for us to act when we are not sure of when we will get money. We keep on forging ahead and doing our work. We will be getting funds outside. The economy is not all that rosy and it is affecting sports development generally. It is only in this climate that companies are always waiting to glorify certain athletes after a competition, rather than supporting athletes to get to the top. How can we succeed? If you are only waiting for me to go out and get gold medal for you to host me, what are you hosting me for? Is it to thank me for doing what I know how to do best?
Support me when I’m preparing for that program. That is when I will know that you are helping me. Not when I have already passed my exams and you are coming to say thank you. If I did not read my books, will I pass my exams? Most of these private organizations should deliberately come out and assist. If government can’t tax them, to say one percent like you are doing for education that would have been a very successful way of funding sports.
That one percent task is very important. Even, to assess the fund is very difficult. So there are too many things we have to contend with for us to really get these things done. We need to think out of the box. You come to Ilorin and you see everything glittering, it is not easy. A lot of sacrifice here and there before you could see what you are seeing .I’m not getting weaker. I don’t know how we do it, but when I look back, I’m always happy that we have been able to do so many things in the past and that motivates me to want do more.
New NYG Policy
The Minister has already pronounced that the National Youth Games is going to be for those, that are 15 years and below. You will easily know a 15 year old boy or girl. Journalists should help us too. If you see some old athletes coming back, you should talk, even though the coach or the athlete is your friend or from your state. Expose them so that they can be penalized.
Ilorin, good sporting ground
Our Games should not go moribund like National Sports Festival. What are we looking for that we don’t have in University of Ilorin? All the events are within the campus. There is security and accommodation. Some states actually showed interest to host the games, but if you want to hold an event, bring Letter of Intent for us to know that you are serious. Even after bringing Letter of Intent, it has to be approved, so there are many things involved. If we are satisfied with Ilorin, why do we run away from them? We signed another memorandum for us to host us again in the future. Even when I retire and another director will still go back to Ilorin. We are very hospitable.
Grooming Young Athletes at NYG
The Youth Games, being the flagship of our program in the ministry, will definitely come up on September 7 to 17. University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) agreed to host us for the next five editions and we intend to have all sports this time around, so that we can give more of these children the opportunity to be part of the competitions. The Ministry is also supporting us to make sure we have a flawless program in Ilorin.
Arrangements are already on. The states that are to take part are all looking forward to it because the National Sports Festival has not been on for sometime. This has been the only program they will be taking part in. Thank God this year, we are also going to be having the National Sports Festival, which is going to be for the elite athletes. It is going to be an elite program, while the Youth Game is going to be Under-15. We are doing everything possible to have a successful outing.
Ahead of National Sports Festival
Before you heard it from the Minister, so many actions were taken: like getting in touch with the FCT Minister and other stakeholders to make sure that we really hold the festival this year. For the Ministry to inaugurate a committee, the NOC, for this program is to assure that it will definitely holding. As you are reading this, the department that is in charge of the game is making sure that we have a very good program. We just need to start somewhere. It’s been long and we need to kick-start the program. For the Youth Games, we are bringing more athletes because we want to give opportunities to the public. Some of the Athletes discovered at the Games are already fitting into the elite sports level.
Tax rebate for sports
There is a tax rebate, but the important thing is the willingness of these organizations to come forward. We have been reaching out to them, but I think that there are some challenges. Even those that were supporting sports before have withdrawn, so we should sit back and ask ourselves why did they withdraw?
Partnership key to sports development
If I am an MD of an organization and I am giving you money, I want to make sure that you spend the money wisely. I want to get necessary leverage for sponsoring that particular sport. Look at the euphoria of Nigeria’s participation at the Winter Games, we did not win any medal, but for the fact that these girls went there for the first time to put Nigeria’s name on the world map, you saw the support they got from outside the country. If you have 1 percent of that in this country, we will do a lot and people will know that Nigeria has really arrived. But everything is left for government to do alone and it is not possible.
Getting ready for Africa Youth Games
We must go for Africa Youth Games in October and do well to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games. We are preparing. The camping is starting very soon, but the challenge is the budget that is yet to be passed, so what do we do?
