The Chairman National Sports Commission (NSC) and Sports Minister Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has given the various sports federations in the country a two-week ultimatum to submit their programme and target for the 2016 Olympics or get blacklisted.
He gave the directive on Sunday in Abuja at a meeting with the sports’ federations’ presidents and secretaries. He said the federations must hit the ground running as he would set up a committee that would monitor their programmes and target for the next four years.
He vowed that any federation that did not meet its target would not be favoured in terms of planning and implementation for the 2016 Olympics scheduled for Brazil.
The development followed President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive for a re-organisation after Team Nigeria’s disgraceful outing at the London Olympics.
Dr Jonathan Nnaji, President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), told NAN that the timing of the preparation was good but expressed worry over poor funding and lack of facilities. “Give NSC and the federations the required funding; put them in a challenge and if they don’t give you result in four years time, then you can crucify anybody heading the place. We have a minister who is intelligent and knows what to do but he wants to know some of the problems from the federations. One of the things is that we have to come back in two weeks’ time with a developmental programme for four years and another one for Rio 2016.’’
Dr Patrick Uwagbale, Secretary General of Nigeria Amateur Boxing Federation, said that the body had drawn up a programme, he tagged “The Road Map to Rio 2016.’’ He said the boxing federation would be ready to submit the programme to the minister in two week’s time. “Thank God that the honourable minister has just summoned us and we have talked with him; he now knows our position. “We have been given an assignment to go back and articulate these things in writing.
One of the things we will do is to talk about technicalities. “During our last preparation, a foreign coach (a Briton) was involved to help us shape our techniques; all these ones paid off. Thank God that this one we are talking now is coming on time, though 2016 is a long time from now but its short. We are going to put all these things together to make sure no mistake is made to make sure we achieve our projections,’’ Uwagbale said.
Also speaking, Navy Capt. Omatseye Nesiama, Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), said that a programme known as “Project Rio 2016’’ had been designed to change the fortunes of athletics in the country.
?