Alassane Diack calls for renewed effort in Youth-sports development in Nigeria

...Says Nigerian sports isn't progressing at the right speed 

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye 

  

  

  

The Executive Director of Olympafrica Foundation, Alassane Diack, has described Nigeria as a nation that is not utilizing its talents and potential in Sports to the fullest.

He gave this verdict at the inauguration ceremony of the Olympafrica Foundation Centre, emphasizing that some countries in Africa, don't have as much resources or talents as Nigeria, yet they perform better in sports.

Going back some 30+ years Diack sighed, stating when he first came to Nigeria in 1992, sports in the country were thriving, with the likes of Mary Onyali leading that squad.

“In 1992 I was the manager of the African Team in Athletics we went to the World Championship, and the 1994 in London, more 50 percent of the team was composed of Nigerian athletes we had Onyali, Otondo, many Nigeria and I remember that when I was leaving my last World Championship in 2005, Nigeria presented less than 15 persons, we went from 60 percent of the team to less than 20,” he explained.

Seeing this massive decline for a country called the Giants of Africa, barely holding it together, he stated that he was having mixed feelings, of disappointment, pity and helplessness.

“It shows that during that ten years other countries were grooming and developing their team, their athletes while Nigeria remained stagnant. Nigeria used to have medals in all the big championships but what is happening now,”

He called on the Federation to look into these facts and map out the way forward, adding that Nigeria can't keep on depending on the same set of athletes.

“The problem here is the problem of organisation and planning. So at the end of the day Nigerians need to sit down and think about all these things, how do you discover talents, how do groom talents, how do you make champions,” he added.

He stressed that while we must give a measure of priority to elite athletes, we must not neglect the youth in our various communities.

“Just go to the Olymapafrica centre in Rivers and you see talents, that's what we are doing, developing talents. It's very easy to see a person that is gifted because you are 200 million plus, many are already gifted physically, but you need to make the environment is helps development, I go very often to Côte d'Ivoire, young ones being involved in different training programs, preparing them for the Youth Olympic's, even in Senegal, it's being on for seven years now, in all sports,” he stressed.

He further explained that uncovering athletes at tournaments isn't the way forward, emphasizing that while many athletes are interested in sports they don't have the financial power to pursue their dreams.

“In Senegal, in Cote d'Ivoire, across Africa, even when they have vacations, they are there training so whenever there's an event, they are ready, not that you wait at the last minute, the games are in six months and then you start releasing funds for athletes, you can't get anything,” he further added.

He added that only when the federation prioritizes youth sports can Nigeria move forward in athletics.

“That is what is missing in Nigeria. Nigeria doesn't lack talent, it's the administration, there's a lot to do, first from the federation, the money released from the federation should be used first for sports development, because only then can sports grow,” he said.

He further explained that only when the federation follows these steps, can the federation stop depending on athletes abroad.

“Nigeria should not be depending on athletes from abroad, who you didn't develop, the borders are locked and then you start worrying,” he concluded.