Coaches from all the Sports Federations are set to rub minds and find ways they can help sustain sports development, which will benefit the nation and its youths.
To this end the coaches are proposing to meet during the National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State to create a platform with which to drive this ambition and achieve enviable goals. Some of the coaches spoke their minds on the likely alliance and how it can work for the coaches and the country.
” We are looking to meet during the National sports festival and chart a way forward,” said coach Gabriel Opuana.
“It is not a pressure group, but a forum that is ready to assist in the sports development in Nigeria. A Group the sports ministry, sports loving individuals can work with. There are a lot of issues affecting our sports and we need to rub minds to address them.”
He listed that the main aim of the coaches was to foster unity among Nigeria coaches across all sports, create a body that will pursue the welfare and training of coaches.
“For our athletes to improve, our coaches need to improve, they need to attend training and coaching courses.
“These are some of the things we will deliberate on when we have our inaugural meeting.
” We have to do what we can to achieve our aim, without necessarily waiting for the sports ministry to aid our training, training is key to our development.“
Yusuf Sirajo, national taekwando coach, stated that Nigerian coaches coming together is the best thing that can happen to the country’s sport.
“It will go a long way to helping Nigerian athletes, coaches and sports in general.
“As a group we have to put down what we want and the authorities should be able to provide it.
“In all major sporting nations they have a coaches association. And the coaches also put down what they want to get the job done and we can see how well they are doing with their sport.
“For us as a country to be in the community of sporting nations we must try to do what other countries do to develop their sports, those countries are not better off in terms of sports talents. “There is a need for us to set a carefully thought agenda for the sports ministry, this is one of the things the coaches will aim to do.”
Basketball coach Wilson stated that with the coaches association, a platform for the exchange of ideas will be present and coaches would be better off prepared in their assignments.
“Coaches do a lot of research, coaches in the USA for instance, if you know the work they put in before going to the national team, you will think that they are doing a PHD course.
” But it’s not like that. our coaches are picked based on eye service, the coaches association would change all that. We have to make our coaches work and when they do, everybody will see the development even at the grassroots.
“We will aim to make coaches work and even as they do, there has to be a welfare package that is clearly written so that as he is going back to his family, he doesn’t worry much knowing everything is taken care of. By doing so he is thinking of nothing, but the development of the sport. ”
As for Joy Mayaki who is technical director and coach Powerlifting Federation, the coaches forum is something to watchout for in the future.
“Even as it is something I critically have to observe, I admit that something like this is needed, but how genuinely it will pursue its objectives is what we have looked at with patience down the line.”
Speaking further Solomon Aliyu who is the president of Athletics Coaches Association of Nigeria, said a stronger voice is needed in dealing with sports development and related issues.
“The General Coaches Association will give a louder voice for the plight of the coaches to be heard and reclaim our place and space in the affairs of sports in this country.
“It will also afford us the opportunity to share technical know-how across the sports federation with respect to coaching.
“There’s no athlete without a Coach and you cannot be called a Coach without athletes, there’s no performance without these two very important individuals in any sports.
“In Nigeria coaches and athletes suffer lack of attention and care, athletes are only recognized after a good performance the coach is never recognized if at all he’s lucky to be recognized the athletes are given more than the coaches.
” There are so many potentials across the country that need to be discovered but most coaches are financially handicapped to coach, why is the Coach not considered for Grant as the athletes. Give Grant to a Coach the Grant covers for More than one athlete but give to an athlete it is for only that athlete.”