Desmond Ekwueme
The much awaited and highly successful Imo Sports Summit has come and gone but discussion are still ongoing over the possibility of the Youths and Sports Minister, Sunday Dare harnessing the discourse of the event into a Sports Policy for the nation.
Needless saying that Nigeria has been yearning for a Sports Policy given the very directionless movement and dwindling fortune of sports in our clime. Experts are of the view that whatever the country has achieved in sports over the years are not as a result of concerted and well orchestrated efforts. Rather they come by stroke of fortune or luck. In other words, there is no template for success in sports in our beloved nation.
We hardly plan or don’t even plan at all hence our sports is confronted most times with massive failures. In recent time, literally all Nigerian national football teams crashed out of various championships or tournaments or even fail to qualify for the competitions proper.
From Flying Eagles in Poland 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup to Golden Eaglets at the Brazil 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup to Super Falcons and U-23 Eagles failures to reach Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to CHAN Eagles who were roundly beaten in all platforms and at all fronts.
The list seems inexhaustible as we catalogue the downward slip of our football. What of the consistent fall of Nigerian clubsides in CAF competitions which is now a tradition since Enyimba Int’l FC made the country proud back to back in the continent’s apex football competition 15 years ago.
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We can go on and on. It does not end with football. From tennis to boxing, athletics to weightlifting we have continued to falter. Sadly these are areas the country once held her head high.
Experts have continued to point at lack of Sports Policy for this ugly trend. Little wonder why same experts cum administrators of no little feat stormed Owerri between November 28 and 29 to attend Imo Sports Summit which raised critical issues and questions affecting sports development in the country.
Yes, the Sports Summit was to prepare a blueprint on restoring the past and lost glory of sports in Imo which ultimately is targeted at driving the process of the Rebuild Imo agenda of His Excellency Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha (CON), Governor of Imo State.
But to the guests and administrators present the Summit goes beyond those and to a large extent achieved even more than these points.
Thankfully, Sports Minister, Dare who was the keynote speaker acknowledged the fact that he already has something from the Summit which he was taking back to Abuja. He said, “We will look closely at the very critical issues raised here and see how we can partner with Imo to implement them for the good of Nigeria sports. It was therefore, not a surprise that he branded Imo HOME OF SPORTS!
Speaker after speaker, it was agreed that the starting point is to return sports to the schools from where the catch-them-young starts. Discovering talents from teenage stages in primary and post-primary schools is the way to go, agreed the resource persons who graced the Summit.
It was also agreed that government cannot fund sports alone hence government on its part should create the enabling environment or atmosphere for investors and sponsors to put in their money.
When investors and sponsors put in their funds, government must allow them run sports with little or no control. Regulation must not be an incumberance to the smooth running of sports as he who pays the piper should be allowed to dictate the tune.
Sports is successful in Europe and America simply because it is in the hands of the private sector and multi-national organisations or corporations. This was highlighted in the Summit. For our sports to grow, it must be free from the control of government.
Sports must be seen as purely a business venture whereby investors are expected to make huge profit on investment. It was agreed that the attitude of seeing sports as a mere public relation mechanism or tool of and for government should be changed or be stopped outrightly.
Sports is a major forex earner in Europe, Asia and Americas. For instance, in China, Table Tennis is a major forex earner as Chinese players move in droves to European clubs and hard currencies are paid for their exodus. In Brazil, football is the third highest forex earner after oil and leather exports. There is hardly any league in Asia, Europe or America that you don’t find a Brazilian footballer as the highest paid.
Basketball through the NBA has continued to rake in billions of dollars into the United States treasury. Indeed, sports has gone beyond mere recreation exercise or propaganda for government. Sports is money and only those who know gold can identify it.
It is sad as noted by experts at the Imo Sports Summit that sportsmen and women in our clime are being treated like amatuers. Even the professionals among them are treated like glorified-amatuers. Brown Ebewele, former AFN Technical Director, noted that, “Until our leaders see the potential in sports as bigger than those in politics our country will not grow. Similarly, until the athletes and coaches are treated like professionals, placed on high salaries, given scholarships, medical attention and paid pensions after retirement, we will continue to run round a circle and keep wishing for the best”.
Suffice this to mean that athletes should be given a place of pride like soldiers, police officers and indeed A-class politicians. They break their bones, spill blood and tear muscles and ligaments for the country yet in the end, they are abandoned. This is one of the bane of sports development. No one wants to risk his or her life to win laurels, medals or honours for his or her country only to be dumped after losing an eye or leg.
Bottomline, sports can take Nigeria where politics and economy irrespective of how buoyant it is, cannot take her, if, only government decides to see and take sports people as true heroes and heroines. This must start with how the Ministry of Education and that of Sports partner to reposition sports. Those involved in sports from the scratch must be invested heavily upon, trained and retained. Coaches must always be sent for seminars, courses and workshops. They must be remunerated like their colleagues in the forces or oil and gas sector.
It was agreed that schools or colleges of sports be set by states and professionals invited to manage them. Games Villages should be established at least at state level if not Local Government Councils to help boost sports development.
In all, the template was established in Imo Sports Summit for a national sports policy to come alive. Administrators and experts like Dr. Amos Adamu, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, Prof Emmanuel Ojeme, Prof Ken Anugweje, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Dr. Mitchel Obi, ACP Chioma Ajunwa, Mike Iteamuagbor, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, Dr. Ademola Are, Felix Awogu and Brown Ebewele among others spoke and pointed toward this direction.
Nigerians await a sports policy after the brilliant papers and discussions at the Imo Sports Summit which was a pathfinder and torch bearer.