The National Sports Festival was introduced 43 years ago as a unifying tool for promoting peace and acculturation after the Civil War. But, the competition, which serves as a platform for the discovery of budding talents and future stars is losing glamour. ADEYINKA ADEBIMPE writes on why sports lovers have missed the festival for five years and suggests what the authorities can do to restore its glory.
Athletes are resilient people in the world. They train under the worst conditions to actualise their dream of becoming world stars. Even when it seems that their dream is getting out of reach, they do not waiver; rather, they push hard, believing that one day their hard work will pay. After all the hard work in training, they look forward to showcasing their talents at competitions. A good showing puts them in the limelight while they hope that their careers will hit an enviable height. They also get massive endorsement deals for their efforts and are always courted by those who matter in the society.
However, when tournaments become rare and these athletes do not get the chance to exhibit their talents, they become despondent and may embark on actions which the society may consider bad. To the athletes, taking their destiny in their hands is the only alternative left. And this is what some athletes did recently when it became clear that the National Sports Festival (NSF), which has suffered several postponements, will not take place in the first quarter of next year in Abuja as Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung had promised.
The athletes do not understand why a tournament, which has produced All African Games, Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalists, is becoming difficult to organise in a country brimming with human and financial resources.
The athletes recently protested at the National Stadium, Lagos, carrying placards, with various inscriptions, such as: “Honorable Minister, please do the needful”; “We want the National Sports Festival next year”; “Sports is a means of survival, don’t kill it”; “Don’t send us back to the streets”; “Host the National Sports Festival now” and many more.
A special sport athlete, Alex Adewale, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, told The Nation that failure to host the event could breed more criminals. He said: “If people are involved in sports, crime will reduce; there will be nothing like Boko Haram. I want the sports minister to know that the festival is an avenue for some people to better their lives by earning good salaries and fantastic allowances. For the past five years we haven’t heard anything about the sports festival; we want to know what is happening to our sports; we want the ministry to tell us so that we will know where we belong,” Adewale said.
Before Dalung decided to take the festival to Abuja, the host, Cross River, had come up with several excuses. The most absurd was asking the Ministry of Sport for N650 million to enable it put finishing touches to its preparation. The request shows that paucity of funds may be a major hindrance to the staging of sports meets. Nigeria’s economy is in a recession and it is not clear where states, which are grappling with how to pay salaries, will get funds to host the festival.
The NSF has been postponed in the past due to the non-completion of facilities. However, the economic problems bedeviling the country may be a major stumbling block to the growth of sporting talents in the country. Athletes may have to wait for the economy to improve to showcase their skills on the national stage.
Apart from paucity of funds, the win-at-all-cost syndrome by host states and poaching of athletes, have taken the shine off the competition. States’ officials have gone for one another’s throat in past editions of the competition over poaching. The wealthy states lure athletes with mouth-watering salaries and allowances in their bid to win the festival. Some athletes who are not smart enough have been banned for taking such routes. Administrators and coaches are no longer interested in discovering and grooming talents. Instead, they are always in search of ready-made talents to boost their chances of winning.
A dangerous trend was introduced in the 1990’s when host states connived with the National Sports Commission (NSC) to approve the use of professional athletes who are already doing well in meets all-over Europe. As professionals, the athletes are in better mental condition to win their events. Their participation also stemmed the emergence of fresh stars. States like Delta, Edo, Kano, Borno, Ogun and Rivers have benefited from the use of professionals.
Also, because of the win-at-all-cost syndrome, the junior and intermediate cadres have long been dumped. Coaches are no longer interested in the discovery of talents and young and talented athletes are no longer given the chance to excel. The last time juniors and intermediates took part in the National Sports Festival was at the 1985 in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. The uproar that followed the disqualification of members of the Golden Eaglets from participating in the festival after they won the FIFA Kodak Under-16 Tournament in China helped in killing the junior and intermediate cadres. Again, the hosting-to-win syndrome is prompting most states to want to host. In an attempt to win, they introduce all manner of tricks to beat the rules. They forge certificates, falsify ages, smuggle athletes’ names into their employment list and pay vouchers to beat the festival’s rules of 12 months state of residence. This has ruined the talent base and the country now recycles athletes who have passed their prime.
History of the festival
The NSF is a biennial multi-sport event organised by the NSC. Its hosting is rotated among the 36 states.
It was first staged in 1973 at the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. The game was originally conceived as a “unifying tool” for promoting peace and cross-cultural affiliation after the Nigerian Civil War in 1970. The game also serves as a development and training event to help athletes prepare for continental and international meets. Talents that can be harnessed and groomed for the future are also discovered at the event.
The defunct Bendel State under its then sports-loving Governor, Brig.-Gen. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, won the inaugural edition, beating the host Lagos to second place. The festival made impact on national integration. The unity long dreamt about by Gen.Yakubu Gowon started manifesting. Athletes discovered during the festival formed the bedrock of the national teams and majority of them represented the country at the Third All Africa Games in Algeria in 1978.
The legacy of the competition continued in Kaduna in 1977, Oyo 1979, Bendel 1981 and Kwara 1985. Several talented young men and women were discovered and sponsored to the United States (U.S.) where they grew to become stars. Some of those athletes represented Nigeria at the All Africa Games, the Commonwealth Games, the Olympic Games, and World Championships.
Some of the athletes discovered at the festival were Peter Okodogbe, Charlton Ehizuelen, Esther Ogbuji, Gloria Ojukwu, Janet Omorogbe, Bunor Uwabor, Helen Okwara, Felix Imadiyi, Hamid Adio, Rotimi Peters, the late Dele Udo, A.J Jampido, Henry Amike, Yusufu Ali, the late Oluyemi Kayode, the Ezinwa brothers, Innocent Egbunike, Chidi Imoh, Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya, Faith Idehen, Beatrice Utondu, Patience Itanyi and Tina Iheagwam.
Also discovered over the years are Emmanuel Igbinosa, Gabriel Gold, Patrick Okena, Sule Mohammed, Palmer Okundaye, Bashiru Mohammed, Alfred Ilekhuoba, Osaze Owen and Friday Noruwa in cycling. Babatunde Obisanya, Atanda Musa, Sunday Eboh, Kuburat Owolabi, Funke Oshonaike, Segun Toriola, etc in table tennis. In boxing, there were Jerry Okorodudu, Peter Koyengwachi, Monday Omoruyi, Christopher Ossai and Sabo Mohammed among many others.
Experts speak
Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) President Wahid Enitan Oshodi described the postponement as disappointing. He said that athletes who had been preparing for the event would be devastated. He also said that some of the states would have spent time training and getting their athletes ready, stating: “With the postponement, a lot of that hard work goes down the drain.”
Saying he was not sure of the reason(s) for the postponement, the NTTF chief noted that the state of the economy would have partly informed the decision.
Oshodi said: “I am not exactly sure the reason for the postponement, but if one factors the state of the economy into the equation then it is not unlikely that this would have played a part.
“All the states need to prioritise their spending and usually when this happens sports usually bear the brunt. It costs money to host the games and, by extension, I am not sure all the 36 states can even afford to send teams if the festival is held in November. We have to look at the larger picture.”
He continued: “I think we have to decide what part we want the NSF to continue to play in sports’ development. Do we want it to develop our young athletes or celebrate our top professional athletes? I think once we decide that, then maybe, the Federal Ministry of Sports will fully take ownership of the games, including the cost of hosting it in their budget and host it in Abuja. This way all the states can then plan definitively for the games. The number of athletes (over 15, 000) being provided for is quite high and very few states can bear this cost under the prevailing economic climate. The NSF is one of the largest events number-wise in the world. It is not too far off the Olympics. Maybe we need to look at the model and reshape it by holding a lot more qualifying events at zonal levels.”
According to Oshodi, the-win-at-all-cost syndrome has taken the shine off the game. “The host of the games trying to win the tournament at any cost does not do the image of the games any good. This is what leads to poaching of athletes, the influencing of officials and such other practices. We managed to change this outlook in 2012 when Lagos hosted the event. I think if the Federal Government takes over the hosting of the event, then, this will definitely stop some of the worst antics that are on display during the games.”
The former Lagos State Sports Commissioner said that allowing professionals to compete at the game defeats its concept, adding that different states have different approaches to how they want to develop sports. “I am still not sure of the benefits of our top international athletes competing against athletes who are fresh out of school. I think the NSF is a good avenue to discover young athletes. The federations will then take on the task of developing these athletes. A case in point is Ese Brume who won the long jump at Eko 2012 in her first national event. With good grooming she became the Commonwealth Champion two years later and 5th in the Olympics. We need to let these athletes get their chance.”
Encouraging the athletes not to despair, Oshodi urged them to continue to work hard so that when their chance comes, they will be ready to take it. He also advised the Sports Federations to organise national events to keep their athletes busy, noting that this is the only way to encourage young athletes.
“It is not easy due to the economic situation, but the Federations will now need to work harder to convince the private sector to support their programmes. We cannot continue to wait for the festival to happen. We must keep the athletes engaged,” he added.
Lagos State Badminton Association Chairman Frank Orbih said it was unfortunate that the festival was postponed, adding that it would dampen the morale of the athletes who have trained for long.
“It is not good for the morale of the athletes. Psychologically they might be unable to be at their best when eventually the festival holds, reason being that, they will still be skeptical about it really holding until it does hold”, he said
Orbih said the postponement was due to the economic downturn and not the political situation of the country. “I think it has more to do with the economy. As we are aware, most states owe many months of salaries. A lot of states can hardly afford to host the festival right now. In the past, once a state which had been given the hosting rights was unable to host, other states would be jostling to take over such rights, but that cannot be said to be the case right now. Majority of the states are in debt and see the hosting of the festival as a huge financial burden. This is coupled with the fact that governments don’t give sports development the attention it deserves, so sports is not seen as very important.”
He continued: “The government needs to create an enabling environment for the private sector to get more involved in the funding of sports. The government cannot fund sports alone. Qualified, knowledgeable and experienced sports administrators should be appointed to administer sports in the country. Too many round pegs in square holes and too much lip service is paid to sports development. Until the government puts the right policy in place for the effective development of the sports sector to maximise its full potential, we will continue to waste our time and fail to halt the trend.”
Orbih noted that the win-at-all-cost syndrome is having a negative impact on the competition. “It is a very negative mind set. We are no longer ready to invest time and money on discovering and developing athletes. We are not ready to be patient to reap the fruits or rewards of such investment. Most people want immediate result, which is not possible except you engage in sharp practices and cut corners. Moreover the positive attitude should be one of participation and not to win at all cost. This negative attitude is what is responsible for the poaching of athletes. There should be clear guidelines that can stand the test of time; regulate the indiscriminate movement of athletes and discourage poaching,” he noted.
He urged the athletes to continue training and take the postponement in good faith. Orbih said: “They should take the disappointment in good faith and move on hoping that there will be no more postponements or cancellations in the future. They just have to keep hope alive. I know it is not easy, but they should have a positive mindset.
He added: “I strongly believe that the NSF should be used to discover athletes and not for professional athletes. There are tournaments and championships organised by the sporting federations for professionals, so the festival should be left for amateurs and upcoming athletes.”
Making competition
vibrant again
To restore the festival’s glory, there is need for a retrospective look at its ideals. First, the NSC must desist from aiding officials who want to win-at-all-cost by changing the rules to suit these unscrupulous officials. Also, poaching of athletes should be outlawed so that coaches can go back to discovering and nurturing talents.
The coaches must be mandated to go back to their states, work with their counterparts at the local government level and discover talents that can do the state and the country proud. Most coaches have become lazy and it is high time they woke up from their slumber. Other teams should take a cue from Lagos that holds its own festival, where talents are discovered and nurtured for the bigger stage.
The government should also reintroduce intermediate and junior categories to the festival. This will encourage the graduation of athletes from one cadre to the other. It will also be easy to monitor these athletes and ensure that their records are kept to avoid falsification of their ages in order to be eligible for different sports.
Also, there should be a special fund for hosting the competition as the times are hard and the host state may not be financially strong. There should be an arrangement for sponsors to market their products during the competition. Also, each state should be encouraged to source for funds for the competition to avoid last-minute postponement of the games.
