By: Olusola Alabi Ijobasports
Nigeria Sports has been in a cage over the years and we believe it’s normal to continue like that without having a proper structure that will fish out and scout the best to represent our nation.
We can’t blame the Federal government of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for poor sports activities in our state, we can not get it right once we lost it at home.
According to the constitution, it is compulsory for each state to have sports commissioners and other cabinet members too, sports commissioner is the one in charge of anything related with youths and sports and their duties is to rebrand the state’s sports image and to maintain it as well.
But in recent time, we find it difficult to indentify any achievements or changes in sports sector in a state as commissioners have failed to do their duties and this is basically because appointment of commissioners is based on his/her political activities instead of appointing someone who is in the field.
We enjoyed Principal’s Cup, Governor’s Cup, Inter Secondary Schools relay race before now, what really happened to those exciting grassroots Sports activities?
Through those sports activities we can easily discover future stars in the grassroots that will represent the state and the nation at higher level but unfortunately there’s nothing like that again.
Being a Sports Commissioners is beyond speaking big big grammar and carrying files up and down, development at all departments in sports are the most important thing.
There are many talented footballers in secondary schools who will be useful for the state and country as well but without a good sports activities at the grassroots level, there is no way we can scout for talents.
A very smooth relationship between Sports Commissioners, Football Association in the state and Members of Sports Writer (SWAN) will definitely grow sports activities if the sports commissioner really channel all energy on restructuring.
By now we should be able to indentify the likes of Blessing Okagbare, Aruna Quadri, Anthony Joshua and lot at the grassroots level.
We can’t talk about grassroots sports development without appreciating the efforts of Grassroots Football Coaches in all states across Nigeria, they are doing wonderfully and these are the people a sports loving commissioner must try to work with for a massive results.
The situation of sports facilities in some state’s is worrisome and terrible, even the facilities for football which is the main focus is not up to standard talkless of Basketball Court, Tennis, Boxing ring and others.
If truly we are really ready and mean business in sports sector, massive development is needed and those sports commissioners need to step up and carry out their duties.
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