Former Kwara State basketball star, Tunji Ayeni, has advocated for the hiring of foreign coaches only on stop gap basis, which will also have a developmental impact on the indigenous coaches.
Speaking on the backdrop of the hiring of a foreign coach, Williams Volt, for the senior national team, D’Tigers, by the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Ayeni said the system will encourage a long term building system.
Ayeni said the indigenous coaches, even if they do badly at some points, needed to be encouraged by bringing them up under foreign handlers.
According to him, this will bridge the knowledge gap because the foreign coaches have coached at a higher level and are a bit more exposed.
He pointed out that it is difficult to differentiate their impacts as some of the indigenous coaches too, like Ayo Bakare, have distinguished themselves even at higher levels.
He also added that the difference in the management of sports and sports performance is grassroots programmes, which countries like USA has, but which Nigeria has either neglected or poorly managed.
He charged the government to help raise standards by investing in sports infrastructures at community and school levels and also to invest in manpower by exposing the coaches through various courses.
Ayeni, who through his Foundation is assisting the development of the sports at the grassroots in Kwara State annually, said the initiative was to compensate for the numerous talents, which abound in the state.
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