Daily Independent (Lagos)
Tony Ezimakor
6 October 2008
Abuja — The performance of the country's contingent to the Beijing Olympics Games came again to the front burner at the weekend with former Minister of sports and chairman National Sports Commission Bala Bawa Ko'oje coming down heavily on current holders there for the below par performance.
Ka'oje also blamed the federal government who he said is paying lip service to sports development pointing out that the investment in the sector does not in any way match the huge expectations of Nigerians.
On Beijing he said the country would have done better but for the haphazard pre-Olympics preparations adding though that it would amount to expecting the impossible for Nigerian athletes to win medals with just two weeks preparation.
"We performed below expectation because our preparation was haphazard. I think they (NSC) didn't do what they are supposed to do. It would be wrong to expect athletes that went to camp two weeks to the games to win medals when they are expected to compete with people that had been preparing for five to six years", stated the former NSC boss.
According to Ka'oje government cannot claim it is supporting sports when her total investment in the sector is just a shade away from what other sporting nations would spend on a single athlete.
"We understand countries spend over a million dollars to train an athlete to win a medal. In our case it is different. And the private sector is not helping matters."
On claims by the private sector that a corrupt NSC does not inspire the confidence of investors, Ka'oje retorted that no sector in the country ids spared of the corruption bug.
"Tell me which sector that is not corrupt. There is no place that is not crrupt including the banks. If they are giving that as excuse for not sponsoring sports then they are nopt sincere with their true motive"
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