Past and present governments have failed to fully grasp the import of sports hence the apathy they display towards it. Some corporate bodies who should use sponsorship of these academies as a veritable platform to project their image have regrettably turned a blind eye to this imperative. In saner climes, the private sector jumps at the prospect of advertising their brand through sports.
They pump in cash into such ventures that in turn yield massive returns to them. They do everything within their powers to get the best facilities to engineer their efforts. Little wonder many countries of the world have used sports to project their land and their rich cultural heritage. Sports have in more ways than one, brought peace and harmony to warring nations.
It is a unifying factor that has proven to be the major phenomenon uniting the world. To further underscore the global reach and peaceful disposition of sports, athletes are made to shake hands before taking to the field to tread tackles.
Sports have produced great athletes in the country who at different times earned global recognition through the positive utilization of their innate talents.
The Mary Onyalis, Chioma Ajunwas, Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha, Samson Siasia, Stephen Keshi et al have created a niche for themselves in sports at different levels.
Mary Onyali made a name for herself in the track and field world, establishing several prestigious marks on the way. Popularly called the Queen of Nigerian Sprints, Mary continues to hold the Nigerian 200 meters record, and is still ranked in the top 10 of the collegiate all time list in both the 100 and 200 meters.
Chioma Ajunwa held the sports world in awe when she claimed the Olympic gold medal in the long jump events at the 1996 Atlanta games. The police officer was competing in only her third meet after returning from a curious four-year ban for drugs. Ajunwa jumped 7.12 meters and clinched the gold medal to the admiration of all. Need I harp on the numerous lives that have been saved through the Kanu Nwankwo Heart Foundation? How about Austin Okocha whose wizardry on the ball in his heyday made him such a crowd favourite?
Today, the former Bolton Wanderers of England captain has gained fame and wealth through the most watched sports in the world.
The aforementioned names are clear examples of how sports have helped in no small measure to mitigate the skyrocketing poverty in our country.
I don’t know of any sports man/woman who made it in the game and did not reap plenteous harvest from it. Have you ever spared a thought or wondered the number of fans who troop into sports venues to behold the spectacle of the game? Great footballers like Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Luis Figo et all commanded high transfer fees at a time the global economy was tottering.
Ronaldo, who is currently the world best player in the planet earns astronomical weekly wage just to kick the round leather game. He is not the only sportsman earning a huge sum of money weekly. There is also Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao, Fernando Torres… etc. This is just a testament to how sports have almost ‘crippled’ other sectors of the society through it global appeal and market value.
The shortfall in employment in the society has therefore made it necessary for our avalanche of vibrant citizens seeking for a sustainable future to embrace sports. Government agencies and the private sector should as a matter of urgency contribute meaningfully to sports.
In our country today, the only thing that inspires hope and unity is sports. Little wonder when our national team is involved in one competition or another, Nigerians are always united in prayer. We drop tribal sentiments and religious affiliations to put on the apparel of oneness and brotherhood.
From the foregoing, one can now see that if the government, corporate bodies and other public-spirited individuals elect to work in concert to promote sports, the biting unemployment rate bedeviling our country will be reduced to the barest minimum.
Our country can become a haven of discovering latent talents if the right template is put on ground. Concrete steps should be made to revive the schools’ sports; our local league should be rid of ugly scenes if the prevailing culture in Europe where sports venues are often jam-packed must be obtained here. Let’s arm our youths with soccer boots and other sports’ kits instead of guns and bombs.
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