Sports
2020 Olympic: Conflict In AFN Worries Athletics Coaches
Some athletics coaches have expressed worry that conflict in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), if not resolved fast, might affect Nigeria’s preparation for and participation in the Tokyo 2020.
Some of the coaches, who spoke to newsmen in Lagos, said that parties involved in the conflict should consider the interests of the nation and the athletes.
Coach Osagie Ikhaobomeh appealed that the conflict rocking the federation should be resolved fast to ensure Nigeria would do its best at the Olympics.
Ikhaobomeh urged those involved in the conflict to dialogue and resolve issues in the best interest of the nation.
The coach said that quick resolution of the conflict would encourage athletes to put in their best in preparation and participation .
According to him, concflicts will not encourage sports development.
“The crisis in AFN can affect Nigeria’s preparation for Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“If truly money was released but not given to athletes, it will affect the psyche of the athletes and their preparation for the Olympics,” he said.
“What some of our athletes experienced at the All African Games hosted by Nigeria in 2003, killed their passion for running for the nation
“The issue has always been the welfare of the athletes,” Ikhaobomeh said.
He, however, commended the AFN Board for good performance.
“The current board, for me, scores 55 per cent performance in 2019, though lack of funds affected Nigeria’s performance in major international events.
“There is need for the board to put its house in order to do more,” the coach said.
Coach Tunde Suleiman said that AFN experiencing a conflict few months to Olympics would do harm for the nation’s participation in the Olympics.
Suleiman called on the board to resolve the conflict fast.
“I believe this is a needless crisis in AFN; they just need to drop ego and work together, it is a collective thing, everyone is important.
“In the interest of coaches and athletes, we all need to move on and think of how our performance in Tokyo 2020 will be better than those in previous Olympics.
“That is my opinion; when most countries’ preparations are at the peak for the games, we are here fighting one another and forgeting the interest of the nation and the athletes,” he said.
Meanwhile, two factions are laying claim to the leadership of AFN.
One group is led by Ibrahim Gusau, while the other group is led by Olamide Gorge.
The 2020 Summer Olympic Games will start from July 24 and end on August. 9 in Tokyo.
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.