The much-anticipated meeting of osun state sport stakeholders, organized by the Senor Special Assistant to the Governor on Sport Development, held at the Oshogbo township stadium yesterday, saw sport technocrats, coaches, retired sport administrators, and athletes, as well as government officials, express their views on the issues that have bedeviled sport in the state.
Apostle Peter Adedeji, a former General Manager of the Osun Sport Council, spoke about the importance of coaches in sport development, stating that without them, all other efforts will be in vain. He further stated that the state requires at least four coaches in each sport in each zone, and that zones should be assigned to a specific sport within that zone.
Lack of sport equipment and facilities, as well as an empty store in the sport council, were both identified as a hindrance.
Poor incentives in the form of allowances and employment were also identified as a source of concern.
The former General Manager of the Osun State Sport Council also stated that a bus for all of the associations and sports is required for convenient transport. A tartarn track at the Oshogbo township stadium, as well as an indoor sport hall, have been constructed. The necessity of equipping the medical department was also brought up, as it was claimed that there was no budget for drugs, no pharmacist, no neurologist, and so on.
The need for additional office space, as well as the employment of security personnel at the stadium and at Gardner’s, was also brought up during the discussion.
Some of the participants demanded that other sports be given their own budgets, stating that football should not be the only sport to receive funding.
Increased investment in sport is needed, as it is a political, social, and economic weapon in the hands of governments, according to the panelists.
A call was also made for the construction of more stadiums throughout the state.
Chief okorob, a former weightlifting coach and administrator, and Mr. Oludare Jacobs have called for the establishment of a sport policy that will serve as a blueprint for sport in the state, as well as the establishment of a scheme of service for the sport council, as the sport council is a unique agency that differs from the others.
Chief okoro went on to say that promotion in sports is not based on education, but rather on performance.
Alhaji Adelabu Adegboyega, Special Adviser to the Governor on Sport, has called for greater unity among those involved in the sport sector in Nigeria.
The organizer expressed gratitude for everyone’s contributions, but he also called for the support of private individuals and businesses in order to further the development of sport.
He stated that the purpose of the STAKEHOLDERS Meeting is to hear directly from the horses’ mouths in order to determine where the shoe pitches.
He promised that all issues and solutions identified would be forwarded to the state’s governor, Isiaka Oyetola, who is eager to see positive changes in the sport sector in Nigeria.
He expressed gratitude to Living Trust Mortgage Bank for their support of the event.
The event was sponsored by the Living Trust Mortgage Bank.
