Imoh wants former athletes to run sports federation
By Tunde Eludini
December 18, 2010 06:57PM
Chidi Imoh needs no introduction to the athletics faithful in Nigeria and elsewhere except the very young. He represented Nigeria at many international tournaments and was the first African sprinter to run 10s in the 100m. Imoh has always lived in America, right from his university days at the University of Missouri in Columbia and calls Atlanta home. He lent his voice to the clamour for former athletes to take over the administration of athletics in the country.
According to the veteran athlete who was once Africa’s fastest man, the country has continually failed to fulfil its potentials in world circles owing to inept leadership and he said only those with a proper understanding of the game can help the country get to the position it truly deserves.
“It appears that the current leadership at Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has no clue as to what track and field is really about. I believe strongly that our sports leadership should come primarily from former athletes, who completely understand not only the actual training and physical preparation of track and field athletes, but an entire package of the workings of how to develop superb global athletes in all its ramifications” he said.
He has a willing partner in this assertion as Innocent Egbunike has faulted the lack of visionary leadership by administrators as a major factor militating against the growth of athletics in the country. Egbunike said “We have what it takes to be the best, the problem is lack of vision by our administrators, a lack of commitment in regards to establishing a program, a lack of commitment in helping the athletes reach their goals, lack of funding for track and field, lack of incentives” he said.
Not yet uhuru
While the election of the current President of the AFN, Solomon Ogba was initially celebrated by many, some others have expressed dissatisfaction with the results and crisis that has rocked the federation at different times throughout the year.
Grappled with lack of funds, the federation had been at loggerheads with athletes over the payment of allowances at different times and the height of these impropriety was reached at the Abuja Grand Prix, with the AFN unable to pay both the local and foreign athletes who were part of the last edition . The International Athletics Federation (IAAF) had threatened to blacklist the country.
Despite the brilliant performance by some of the country’s athlethes in some competitions, many observers are of the opinion that the overall performances have not matched the feat the country was noted for before now. For Imoh, the current breed of administrators have failed to clone the system that produced great athletes like him in the past. “My general assessment of the state of athletics in Nigeria is that an immense amount of work needs to be done.
“Athletics does not seem to be the focal point of the powers that be in Nigeria. Officials are not being held accountable for poor performance, or otherwise. The current administrators are not following in the footsteps of how athletes were recruited from yester years, including how athletes like Innocent Egbunike, and me were discovered” he added.
“I will change the fortunes of sports in Nigeria by going directly to school sports associations and physical education departments to scout for and develop young talents” he boasted.
Good old days
Chioma Ajunwa was the best long jumper in the world at the Atlanta 96 Olympic Games. Ajunwa won the gold medal in the long jump event, making her the first African woman to win a gold medal in an Olympic Games’ field event. But today, no Nigerian female long jump athlete is ranked amongst the top ten in the world. Not one of the available athletes has made it over 7.00m, talk less of getting near Ajunwa’s mark of 7.12m, which was an African record.
About a decade ago, for every eight lanes in the women 400m at either the European circuit or the IAAF Grand Prix, it was certain that four of the athletes would be Nigerians.
Then we had three consistent 49.00 seconds runners in Falilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo, Charity Opara and Fatimah Yusuf. This is no longer the case as the present crop of quater-milers struggle to run under 51.00s.
Nigerian female sprinters like Mary Onyali, Gloria Alozie, Christy Okpara, Beatrice Utondu, Ajunwa, and Mary Tombiri amongst others rivalled the likes of Gwen Torrence, Gail Devers and others for honours in major games and championship.
While the women have somehow continued to churn out fairly good performances for the country as evident in the last major championships held in Kenya and India, the male athletes have failed to hit the headlines in recent times, a situation Imoh sees as unfortunate.
“The primary reason for the under-performance of our male sprinters is poor and inadequate preparation by the officials and a lack of adequate infrastructure. I know we have budding talents, so it is extremely unfortunate that the most populous black nation in the world cannot produce one or two excellent sprinters to compete globally,” Imoh said.
Preparations in earnest
With the next All Africa Games fast approaching and much more the 2012 Olympics, Imoh advised that the country has to start its preparations now if it desires to make any appreciable impact at the Games. “The time is now to be adequately prepared for London 2012.” We need to get former athletes involved in coaching. Foreign coaches will not invest in our success, but our former athletes, who are very experienced will do the best job. Imoh said.
While reacting to the success of Jamaica in athletics, Imoh said, “the secret to their success is simple, getting their old athletes involved, period.” Egbunike however proffered that the country needs a capable and unbiased tactician to pilot the preparations for the upcoming events.
“The authorities need to hire a Head Coach with some experience and international exposure. He should be encouraged to perform maximally by giving him a free hand to run the sport. By this I mean that there should be non-interference (tribal, political or otherwise) in his managing of the sport. Interference in sports by the administrators is one of the major ills of this sport in Nigeria.
“I have been a part of different National teams. I have come to know the reason for their success. I believe that for us to succeed in the 2012 Olympic Games we need to earnestly start now,” Egbunike continued.
This will also give the coaches an opportunity to prepare ahead of time and help eliminate our athletes looking for short cuts” said Egbunike, whose Athlete, Angela Taylor won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Ways to curb doping
On doping which is the latest scourge bedevilling athletics in the country, Imoh said “The officials are required to lecture the athletes about the negative effects of drugs. They need to be involved in their training and let them realise that resorting to drugs is not the solution. The coaches should be experienced enough to know when the athletes are on performance enhancement drugs”.
Meanwhile, the National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman, Ibrahim Bio, has stated that stringent measures will soon be put in place to curb a re-occurrence of drug related issues in the country’s sports circles.
Bio said the measures include the setting up of committees and agencies, as well as fashioning out disciplinary and enforcement plans against offending athletes, coaches and officials. “In order to forestall a repeat of the incidence (like the ones that occurred at India 2010) at future global events, the NSC is proposing a number of measures or steps which, if implemented, will go a long way to keep our athletes drugs-free and under strict supervision,” he said.
He said the NSC was setting up a national anti-doping committee to co-ordinate all anti-doping activities in the country, in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency codes and regulations. “Any athlete who henceforth tests positive for drug-use will in addition to the sanctions from the federation, be made to face disciplinary and punitive actions which will serve as a deterrent to others,” he added.
The AFN on its own part also said it is committed to providing an environment in which all individuals are treated with respect. The federation, which has recorded more doping violations in the last three years than any other period in its over 50 years of existence warned that any act that violates its Code of Conduct and Ethics may be subject to sanctions.
Top on the list of unethical behaviours the federation will not condone are: the use of performance enhancing drugs, sexual harassment and assault as well as falsification of age in all AFN competitions. The AFN warns athletes to totally abstain from the non-medical use of drugs or the use of performance-enhancing drugs or methods while coaches are also warned not to provide, promote or condone its use.
In retrospect
After looking back to his illustrious career, Imoh said there were many high points in his career. “I have so many high points, too numerous to count. Most noteworthy was when I broke the world record at the African games in Kenya. My low points were times that Nigeria did not support me financially, my support had to come from abroad”.
Nigeria’s Chidi Imoh broke the world record for the 100-meter sprint in the All Africa Games at Nairobi, Kenya, but officials said his time of 9.92 seconds would not be recognised because of an over-the-limit supporting wind speed. The record then was 9.93s, set by Calvin Smith of the United States in 1983. Imoh, who was 24 then, was aided by a wind of 4.4 meters per second (mps). The maximum allowable for record purposes is 2 mps.