Ilorin – Honour Sirawoo, President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), says all stakeholders should be blamed for Nigeria’s poor outing at the just-ended Rio 2016 Olympics.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Team Nigeria won just a bronze medal at the event to record one of the country’s worst outings at the global competition.
Sirawoo said rather than just heaping blames on the Minister of Youths and Sports, all Nigerian sports stakeholders should also share part of the blame.
He listed such stakeholders to include sports administrators, National Assembly’s Committees on Sports and sports journalists as well.
“We should all share part of the blame. I guess if we had all raised our voices about Nigeria’s preparations, especially judging from our performances at the London Olympic in 2012, things could have been better.
“Though some sports writers did raise concerns, which were actually overlooked, but I am sure we would have had better preparations for the Rio Olympics,” the SWAN President said.
Sirawoo added that if the submissions of the committee set up after the dismal 2012 Games performance had been followed, Nigeria could have been better positioned at the 2016 Games.
“Had it been that the National Assembly Sports Committees, in the course of their oversight functions, inquired about the athletes’ preparations for the Games and waded into the delay in the release of funds, perhaps we might have had a better outing.
“We can’t continue with this blame-game attitude when there were ample opportunities for us to fix the process.
“For years, we have been shouting after each failure, without shouting about the process before the failure,” he said.
The SWAN President commended Dream Team VI for salvaging some pride for the country through the male football event,
He, however, enjoined sports writers to be alive to their responsibilities of being the watchdog and report appropriately lapses in the various sports sectors.
“Rio Olympics has just ended. Many countries have started preparations for the 2020 Olympics in Japan. We have no reason not to start preparing from now.
“As sports journalists, let me assure you that our members will be on the trail of the sporting federations to consistently find out what
they are doing towards talent hunt and moves to keep athletes in shape for future challenges.’’
Sirawoo expressed reservations about the National Sports Festival which has been a veritable platform for the discovery of talents but has now been in abeyance for nearly four years.
He called on the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports and the Cross River Government to urgently resolve pending issues and ensure that the Games hold as lately scheduled.
“Unless we urgently define the place of sports in national development, employment opportunities and international public relations, sports may die in Nigeria.
“If that happens, we have to bear with the attendant effects of increase in social vices and youth restiveness.
“Sports is a wonderful avenue to engage our teeming youths, earn foreign exchange and boost tourism, which will in turn benefit the economy of the country,” the SWAN President said.(NAN)
