LAGOS – An Instructor at the National Institute for Sports (NISports), Sunday Adeogun, on Wednesday told the Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria to be proactive in popularising the sport.
Adeogun, an instructor in traditional sports, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the board of the federation should liaise with stakeholders to pull resources together to organise national competitions.
“We need to act very fast so as to rescue traditional sports from dying. Long spells of inactivity could kill the sport.
“The president of the federation can liaise with stakeholders from the states to pull their resources together toward organising national competitions. ‘’
Adeogun added that federation in conjunction with state association could organise competition every quarter.
“There should be a competition for each of the traditional sports regularly, both at the grassroots and at the national level, to allow the sport to grow.
“The federation should give the athletes opportunity every year to participate in major national competition to enable them display their skills in the native sports, “ he said.
The instructor noted that school children were willing to engage in the sports if they were exposed to the rudiments governing the sports.
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“What belongs to us is ours; students and youths are interested in traditional sports.
“Let the federation think of ways of taking the sports to them in their schools,’’ he said.
Adeogun, however, urged media organisations to give indigenous sports good coverage.
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“The media should stop treating traditional sports as second-class sports; the media should give traditional sports good coverage.
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“With the support of media through coverage of activities of traditional sports, the games would gain popularity in the country,’’ he said
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NAN reports that some traditional sports in the calendar of the federation include Kokowa (traditional wrestling), Dambe (traditional boxing), Langa, Ayo and Abula. (NAN)
