Over-reliance on elite sprinters will spell doom for Nigeria — Bassey

A sprinter, Gloria Bassey, has warned that over-reliance on foreign-based athletes for international meets would eventually spell doom for the local athletics development in Nigeria.
Bassey, a gold medallist at the 2009 West Africa University Games in Ghana, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that government was not ready anymore to organise local athletics competition.
She said the dearth of local championships in Nigeria was as a result of government depending solely on elite athletes to prosecute international competitions.
She said: “What we have in Nigeria is a sorry case, a situation whereby government is not interested in organising local meets because they think foreign sprinters are better.
“Government is not concentrating on developing local athletes anymore.
“It’s a problem.
“There is no competition to see if there are other budding talents, better athletes they can take to competitions.
“Sometimes, they think it is cheaper, but on the contrary, it is more expensive to keep the foreign athletes; they pay their flight tickets and many more.
“If the local ones are not given the chance to prove themselves, how will they discover them?
“Sprint is unlike like other sports.
“A good sprinter is a product of individual ability.”
Bassey, who last ran 11.5 secs to win silver in 100 meters at the 2007 Mobil Track and Field in Lagos, said most of the foreign-based sprinters were relying on their past records.
She said: “Most of the foreign sprinters are just relying on their past records, which can be smashed at home, but government is not looking in that direction.
“What I see is that they believe in those past records, which is okay, but someone out there can better that performance, but not until the person is discovered.
“If they are not discovered through competitions, they will be under the shadow.
“The sports ministry feels reluctant to trust the indigenous athletes.
“This is so because when there is an upcoming international competition, the federation will just go and handpick the elite athletes because they think they are out there and exposed.”
Bassey said the idea of relying on foreign athletes had really affected the morale of the upcoming sprinters.
She said: “The absence of competitions are a headache.
“There are some athletes who have nothing to fall back on because they are full time sports men.
“In the absence of competitions, how do they survive with no allowances from competitions?
“The Federal Government has not done enough to fully support the sports in the country.
“What do they want us to fall back on?
“Sports men need a lot of encouragement to keep them fit not when they are hungry, while the officials are bloated.
“Open competitions will also help instead of ceding teams or quota system favouring one particular section of the country.”
NAN.