11th January, 2013
When it comes to athletics in Nigeria, you are a force to be reckoned with, how do you feel?
It is something every man or woman desires, we all are specialists in our respective fields. Being an athletics coach that commands so much of respect is no mean feat so I’m always happy.
Having spent so much time as a coach, how many athletes have you nurtured to great heights?
I can’t say what age you are but I think I’m old enough to be your father so when I started as a coach you must still be a toddler. What I’m trying to say that I have discovered so many athletes, some have even turned coach.
At the last Summer Olympics Nigeria’s athletes failed, what in your opinion do you think was responsible?
Our performance at the last Olympics was a result of our preparations. We failed to prepare our athletes in good time for the event. There is no way we would have performed well than what we did because we failed to prepare our athletes.
You mean late preparation was the only reason Team Nigeria failed in London?
Apart from late preparations, the athletes we paraded were old.
But, the saying is that the older the wine the better?
Not in our own case, remember some of the athletes were coming to Nigeria for the first time, so it appears those in the country felt intimidated and could not compete with them.
What you are saying in essence is that we should look inwards if athletics must rise again?
It appears you are reading my mind, it is high time we shun the foreign legion of athletes that we always rely on when going for competitions and develop what we have in the country.
The National Sports Commission, NSC should go back to schools sports, I mean pupils and athletes should be kept busy with sports throughout the calendar year and even on holidays I bet you before you know it Nigeria would return to the forefront of track and field events.
The coaches also have to go scientific, their training methodology must also change, there are some diets that these athletes must also eat so enhance their performance.