By Oluwaseyi Oduneye
Lagos – Portugal-based table tennis player, Ojo Onaolapo, on Tuesday appealed to the Ministry of Youths and Sports to work out modalities for sports development in the country.
Onaolapo, who plies his trade with ADC Ponta Do Pargo Table Tennis Club, said that there were not enough implementable sports programmes in Nigeria.
“What we need now are theories and ideas that will work. Enough of these thoughts written down that are never implemented.
“The athletes and the nation at large are suffering from this setback because we are behind other countries that we started with in sports.
“For sports to strive, the ministry has more work to do because it is in charge of sports development.
“It should be open to advice and seek for opinions from stakeholders and those that are knowledgeable about sports management,’’ he said.
The 2014 Italian champion said that positioning ex-sportsmen and women in sports administration would help in getting Nigerian sports right.
“When ex-sports persons are put to call the shots, things will change I believe.
“This will be so because they had once been in the shoes of the current athletes and know how to cater for them.
“Their past experiences would be used to ensure that athletes get the best treatment because it’s when the athletes are well taken care of that the best can be got from them,’’ he said.
Onaolapo decried the state of the sports facilities at the national stadia.
“I am not happy with how the stadia are. They have been undermanaged and to the detriment of the athletes who are supposed to be training in them.
“Athletes need good and functional facilities to aid their training,’’ the international player said.