By Akinwale Kasali
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ramond International Football Club and Academy, Oluwaremilekun Oluwatosin Adebanjo, has faulted the way and manner succeeding ministers of sports and youth development in the country neglect grassroot sports which has, over the years, been the scouting scene for the nation in the sporting circle.
According to Adebanjo, Ministers come on board with different agenda and policies without a thought for continuity. He accused sports ministers in the country of coming up with ‘Elephant Projects’ that wouldn’t come to reality till they leave office.
https://www.newshubmag.com/2020/01/27/athletes-protest-poor-welfare-as-7th-kwara-sports-festival-kicks-off/
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, weekend, Adebanjo said, “In the late 1970s and 1980s, the National Sports Festival was an avenue for scouting of athletes for the nation. It was a veritable platform to test and discover talents and future sportsmen and women for the nation from the grassroots.
“It was in such competition that sports men and women like Mary Onyali, Sunday Bada, Adokiye Amiesimaka, Stephen Keshi, Christian Chukwu and the likes were discovered, but, years down the line, the nation is gradually allowing this legacy go into extinction. This, no doubt, is however having a toll on grassroot sports in the nation.”
He therefore stressed the need for grassroot sports to be given more focus and attention at all times for the nation’s sports to move forward.
https://www.newshubmag.com/2019/09/17/nasarawa-state-to-be-sports-theatre-soon-governor-sule/
While faulting the current Minster of Sports and Youth Development, Mr. Sunday Dare, for following in the footsteps of his predecessors, he stressed that building of sports centers for grassroot sports is necessary and proper maintenance of this will help in developing sports and scouting of talents would be easier.
Adebanjo added that the Sport Minister needs to be more proactive if he wants to succeed in office, pointing out that the minister must ensure that grassroot sports development is looked into as that is where the future of the nation’s sport lies and those who will hoist the nation’s flag in global competition and championships.
https://www.newshubmag.com/2019/09/16/sports-is-a-veritable-platform-to-engage-youths-curb-restiveness-kwara-gov-says/
In his words, “As a Minister of Sport, he ought to know all the Football Academies registered in Nigeria and proper monitoring should be done as regards that, knowing their growth and how they could help in developing the nation not only in football, but all sports.
“If something like this is put in place, all the corrupt coaches in the national team, most especially Age Grade national team coaches who usually collect bribe and inducement by selecting players that rub their palms would be stopped.
“By so doing, the Minister already have a monitoring team that is familiar with the clubs and this will help in choosing players on merit and abilities not through bribes”.
https://www.newshubmag.com/2019/06/27/kwara-football-association-owu-sports-sign-partnership-deal/
