Nigeria can rule world sports - Gov Oni

Tunde Ogunesan, Ado-Ekiti - 05.05.2008

Ekiti State governor, Engineer Segun Oni, has declared that Nigeria can rule the world of sports if the country put sports development ahead of participation. The governor disclosed this while hosting sports journalists who covered the just-ended NIPOGA Games at the State House at the weekend.

“Nigeria can rule the world of sports if we can put up a developmental programme ahead participation. They say Olympic is just to participate, but those who told us that are also thinking of winning, why can’t we change our orientation?

“We don’t need a large contingent at the Olympics if we are sincere to win medals. Countries like Zimbabwe, Kenya will come to the Olympics with two or three athletes and win gold or all of them winning medals. But in our own case, we participate in almost every event and by the time the competition reaches medal zone, we ‘re no more in contention. Can’t we be mindful of the cost effective in the way we do things in sports?” he said.

The governor said Ekiti State was determined to produce world beaters in athletics, tennis, golf, squash. He noted today’s sports stars were God made, insisting that the talent can be turned into world beaters.

“Sports is now technical. God produced the Fasubas, the Osayemis and the rest, the raw talent is there but it’s high time we turned the talents into world champions,” he said. He, however, said his administration was aware that not much was being heard of its commitment to sports, adding that he was quite sure that when the results start coming, the whole world will see.