Nigerians, as expected, have started engaging in the somewhat tough enterprise of x-raying Team Nigeria’s performance at the just concluded Tokyo Olympic Games.
This is more so after Team Nigeria had grappled with several issues right there at the games that raised concerns back home about our preparations administratively before the contingent set sail for Japan.
We already have one of such reactions in an article published by one of the leading tabloids in the country where-in the writer referred to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare and his officials as “cowboys” because he was aghast with the overall performance of the contingent in and outside the sporting arena.
While we concede the fact that the author of the contentious article has the right to express his views on matters of national importance as a citizen of Nigeria, we object in strong terms the vilification of the minister and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) whose board is led by Chief Tonobok Okowa and which was inaugurated barely one month to the games.
Minister of Youth & Sports Development, Sunday Dare
He made allusions to in-fighting in AFN but failed to state in specific terms that the immediate past board whose members were continually at each other’s throat created a situation where every activity became comatose thus jeopardising preparations for Tokyo.
Be that as it may, going out to throw hard punches at the Tonobok Okowa’s leadership of the board is like killing a fly with a sledge hammer against an inchoate body that is about to settle down to do it’s business.
Yet, we cannot but explain that the new board is not a bunch of neophytes but long standing stakeholders in the athletics family with varied experiences that will be beneficial for the growth of the beautiful sports. It is only a matter of time before Nigerians will begin to enjoy athletics again.
Besides, Chief Okowa, who is also the Executive Chairman, Delta State Sports Commission is a trusted and tested manager of resources with a proven track record in the business of sports. But he needs our support and time to fix athletics.
Negative criticism of the new board is therefore an ill-wind that does not blow the sport any good.
Right now, preparations are on-going for Nigeria’s participation at the world junior athletics championship in Nairobi, Kenya some days away.
Some of our young athletes at the Tokyo Games will be part of the team. The board needs our prayers, encouragement and understanding and certainly not condemnation as it embarks on this journey of recovering all and restoring the lost glory.
For the minister who had explained for the umpteenth time that what he inherited was not good enough to make the country truly competitive in the sporting world and which informed the efforts to change things, we think he deserves to be spared the blushes and giving the support to make the system function effectively. He also needs time to get it right.
And, more significant, the minister should be congratulated on the two medals won by Team Nigeria, a feat the country had not achieved for a long time at the Olympics.
It’s a new era!
