Opinions are divided among athletics faithful over a comment credited to Blessing Okagbare, Nigeria’s Commonwealth Gold medalist, criticising the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) for preferring Nigerian athletes in the Diaspora to home-grown athletes.
Okagbare’s comment on facebook that went viral, claimed that “AFN has been recruiting athletes from other countries instead of building from the many talents that abound in the country.’’
However, track and field stakeholders hold differing opinions over the comment.
Some of them who spoke in Lagos on Thursday, commended Okagbare for criticsing AFN poor developmental programmes.
Lee Okoroafor, a U.K.- based decathlete who represented the country at 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo said that Okagbare was the first athlete to openly to criticise the federation for the practice.
Okoroafor said that sports administrators should not play politics with sports development.
“The home-based athletes should not be sacrificed because of sports administrators’ quest for medals.
“A number of the home-based athletes have been complaining about neglect in areas of training and exposure, but she (Okagbare) is the first to come out openly condemn it.
“The home-based athletes should not be neglected because we want to win medals. What we have is AFN using Nigerians in the Diaspora to cover their tracks their poor grassroots developmental programmes.
“Winning medals at major competitions is not going to develop our sports. We have abundant athletes back home and believe me, if they are given 20 per cent of what they claim they expend on the foreign-based, these home-based athletes will do wonders,’’ he said.
But Tobias Igwe, a renowned athletics coach condemned the statement saying, “most of the home-based athletes have not met the standards already attained by most of the foreign-based.
“The standards are high and Nigeria cannot go to such competitions and come back empty-handed. The media will also write them off.
“ Most of the athletes that AFN showcase are Nigerians, athletes like Duncan, who has been willing to compete for the country, Regina George is a Nigerian too, and I know her father.
“These athletes were selected because they have met set standards. They have been posting good times, especially those that competed at the Bahamas Relays.
“Okagbare should not be saying such things. We cannot afford to use people running 23.06 in the 200m for international competitions, they will flop,” he said.
He urged the American coaches employed by the AFN to do more in terms of discovering and nurturing more athletes to take over from established ones.
Henry Amike, a former 400m hurdles silver medalist at the African Championships in Morroco in 1984, said that such statements should not have been made by Okagbare.
He noted that most athletes who compete for Nigeria at international events have met the international standards and should not be deprived.
Amike said he was disappointed that such comments were made by Okagbare. “The AFN has been trying is best in discover and expose younger athletes”.
Omatseye Nesiama, AFN’s Technical Director, described Okagbare’s post as “baseless’’. “AFN has given Blessing the due regard that she deserves as an elite athlete, but we will not because of her services, fail to check acts of insubordination from her.
“I think it will be apt for her to be specific about the athletes that have been recruited for the Bahamas meet and paid money when it is an open secret that AFN has funding issues,’’ he said.
He emphasised that medals were not picked on the streets, “there is a lot that goes into winning beyond the athletes’ effort’’.
Nesiama noted that AFN policy was to encourage the home and foreign-based athletes if considered capable of flying the country’s flag.
“We have encouraged and prepared home-based athletes in every of the world class competitions that Nigeria has taken part.
“The junior athletes have been exposed to the Commonwealth Games and African Championships. Visa issues and ill-health affected some of those that were to compete at the Bahamas Relays.
“If we did not care for the home-based athletes, will people like Ese Brume, Divine Oduduru and others be known?’’ he asked.
Okagbare’s post on her facebook account on May 5 said “for those hoping for change in our Nigerian track and field should not just wait but also pray”.
“Honestly, I have been so calm about these people killing our grassroots section with their recruiting of athletes from other countries instead of building the great talents that we have.
“What a show of shame the administration has become. They sit down, criticise the athletes back home that they are not improving, yet, they do not do anything to support them, rate their recruits above the great talent that the country have.
“Enough is enough to shortcuts to success because our nation and athletes are better than this,’’ it read.
