Category: Sports

Showcasing 40 works produced over the past two years when he returned from serving his country, the exhibiton Ciritical Clump, put together by Barak Uche Elezieolu, opened at the Yusuf Grillo Gallery of Yaba College of Technology on Friday, October 26.

In his first solo exhibition, the artiste observes that works like Feed Us Not Into Temptation, After Sales Service, Molue I, II & III are examples of such pieces that criticise the ills and common misdemeanours of common people in the street. With those works, he says, he shows a naturalism approach.

For the Critical Clump series that forms the title of the exhibition, Barak demonstrates his new experimental techniques on surrealism. He explains that he got the inspiration from looking at peoples, face and observing that there are too many things to see on human face than mere eyes, nose and mouth.

“I observed that what a man is going through or has passed through, his expectations, his personality, all reflect on his face. This is what I have decided to put on canvass. An example of this is the Christ on the cross on a professor’s face which shows his intention to make heaven. The reptiles show his love for nature, woman on his eyeball says that there is a woman behind every successful man. The love shows that no matter how busy one seems to be, there is always a time created to show some love to some persons. The almost invisible gun shows there is that violence person in every human but only the love for fellow man and God keeps it lying quiet low somewhere in the person; the ear piece shows his love for music and the arts which he is known for,” he explains.

“I am not an artist who would be restricted to painting one predictable ‘ism’ for now. A lot of ideas and inspirations are coming and I express them the way they come. I am a versatile person. I paint impression, expression, abstract, realism and lately surrealism. I get inspirations from everyday life, people on the street, strange happenings here and then. In my surrealism, I get inspired by looking at faces of people particularly great and fearless people that stand firmly on a course they are fighting for, like the weird one Fela Kuti, the grey-haired professor Wole Soyinka, the late Ken Sarowiwa among others,” he added. The exhibition runs till Friday, November 9.

I am tempted to examine this topic in the interest and spirit of renewed intention by the Federal Government towards sport development in Nigeria. Although I have promised not to discuss the presidential retreat on sport which I consider as a step in the right direction as well as my decision not to comment on the accidental and worrisome presentation by some of the presenters at the retreat whose utterances at the retreat was a true reflection of the level of their ignorance on the subject matter for which the retreat was meant to address.

Meanwhile, as an expert in sport organization and management with special research interest in sport policy development and sports economy I feel it is expedient we take a critical look into how we can promote sport economy in Nigeria. We need to understand that the sport sector have the capacity to create sufficient job for Nigerian’s when properly activated.

Government need to develop a sport economic policy that will be targeted towards the promotion of sports economy in Nigeria which simply translates to creation of sport related jobs. The National Sports Commission, Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Finance should be mandated to spearhead the move towards the development of this policy in Nigeria and this move should start with the establishment of a blueprint. This can be achieved through seminars to create awareness and it is also very important to ensure that the infrastructure and facilities are adequate and ready for activation.

No effort must be spared towards developing sport as it is an industry by itself which has the propensity to positively contribute to the economy through the creation of sport related jobs and businesses. This is an area that state governments can tap into and explore because to compliment their job creation agenda and I say with all sense of conviction that any state that invest rightly into developing its sport economy will not in any way regret such investment. I am aware of European based sport manufacturing companies that can be attracted to set up factories in Nigeria while we need to prepare the stage for indigenous investors to also come on board into investing in the sporting real sector.

Our country has got both natural and human resources to adequately service this sector when activated if we are able to encourage the setting up of sport wears manufacturing company as is witnessed in South Africa where we have manufacturing companies for sporting and athletics equipment in places like Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria just to mention a few and they are gradually catching into the African market.

The National Sports Commission need to take a bold step ahead by going out of its comfort zone and strategically position itself as a regulator of the sport sector and one way to have a vibrant and sustainable sector that will also contribute to the GDP of Nigeria is to attract direct foreign investment into Nigeria through encouraging the setting up of sport industries in Nigeria. We need to encourage our successful sports men and women to plough back their investment into the country by the establishment of sport academies, factories and sport related businesses in Nigeria

We need to mention here that our population is an economic asset if properly harnessed. The sport balls that are currently available are mostly imported from abroad, synthetic and non-repairable. These sport balls are unsuited to tough playing conditions and are also too expensive for most consumers. We need to create the right platform to engage investors by way of introducing investment friendly incentives that will attract the development of sport industries into the Nigerian market while also encouraging local content investment.

Some African countries are proud to display their locally manufactured sport equipment and supplies at international sport expo’s while we hardly see any from Nigeria during such expo’s rather Nigerian’s are seen patronizing these sport companies. We also have some Nigeria’s establishing sport manufacturing companies outside this country thereby promoting the sport economy of their host countries rather than their home country.

Sport tourism is another major sports industry the ministry of tourism with cooperation from the national sports commission should establish a sport tourism administrative unit for the promotion and growth of sports tourism as was done in Malaysia. I am convinced that if we are determined to develop sport economy in Nigeria then we will also be the beneficiaries of the great transformation that will be experienced in the sporting sector.

I need to mention here that so far only sport communications industry can be said to have started in Nigeria although not to its full capability and most of them are just on prints and radio and a few now online hence, we can gradually see that with the proper policies in place and determined effort by government and the private sector, we will witness in Nigeria a great transformation that will create enough jobs for our country men and women.

In concluding today’s discuss I will like to remind all concern on the Issues and Challenges as presented in the Report of the Vision 2020 National Technical Working Group On Sports Development

The issues listed below were identified as contributing to the weaknesses of the thematic area:

• There is an existing national sports development policy that is not functional

• Sports development does not have an active base in educational institutions and communities

• Lack of full understanding by all tiers of government of the place, roles, responsibilities, power, and relevance of sports

• Inadequate funding of sports and sports development programmes

• The National Institute for Sports does not have the capacity to fulfill its primary mandate

• The few existing sports facilities in the country are not put to maximum use for sporting activities

• There is an undefined relationship between the various levels and agencies of sports

Fundamentally among all we have been discussing today is the establishment of sound administrative sports policy in our country which must have the ingredient and capacity to translate into meaningful development of key strategic areas including sports economy. However, it is sad to note, that a close look at our national sports policy shows a lack of some cogent and fundamental ingredients that would have translated into a positive change in sports economy in Nigeria.

The Chairman, Ondo State Sports Council (OSSC), Mr Bamido Omogbehin, said on Friday in Akure that athletes from the State were set to surpass the 2011 record in Port-Harcourt during the 17th National Sports Festival.

Omogbehin made the remark at a victory prayer session held to celebrate the re-election of Gov. Olusegun Mimiko for a second term in Office. The event was held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Akure Township Stadium. The chairman said that the athletes had been training hard regularly, despite not being in closed camping.

Omogbehin said that the governor had given them all the required support at the OSSC to achieve the feat, saying that they were not in any way prepared to disappoint the State.

“Our governor is a sports-loving governor and he has not gone back on his promise to develop sports and since the inception of his administration, sports has been moving forward. We have been doing open camping since and the date of the closed camping will soon be announced, but I can tell you that everything is on track and we are preparing,” he said.

Mrs Idowu Akinbulumo, General Manager, OSSC, said she was happy because if the governor had not been re-elected, the council would have had to start afresh, all the arrangements it had made ahead of the 18th National Sports Festival.

“Our continuous participation in national and international competitions is guaranteed and the Treasury would have been closed if another had won the election and that could have hampered our preparation,” he said.

According to Akinbulumo, preparation was on track, despite the athletes not being in closed camping, adding that training was ongoing in the various sports.

Ondo State won 30 gold, 32 silver and 43 bronze medals in Port-Harcourt in 2011, to finish in the third position at the 17th National Sports Festival.

Flying Eagles ace Ugonna Ezenwaka will be offered a three-year deal by top Israeli club Maccabi Netanya after a week’s trial.

The 18-year-old midfielder, who was part of John Obuh’s team for an invitational tournament in South Africa in May, was invited for trials by another Israeli club Maccabi Tel-Aviv. But this fell through as they already have filled up their five-foreign player quota.

Maccabi Netanya then took a chance on the Ocean Boys star, who went on to impress.

“It was a wonderful chance for him, everybody in the club wanted him,” said Stephen Orizu, the player’s close confidant.

“There was an issue before the trials, but the invitation was from Maccabi Tel-Aviv but the management could not offload any foreign player in their team for him because they have five foreigners already and that was why Maccabi Netanya and his agent agreed to come to terms and he is happier for it.

“The coaches were amazed to have him and the deal will be finalised this weekend.”