Renowned sports critic and current chairman of Gombe State Athletics Association, Alhaji Shaibu Gara Gombe has alleged that track and field is still being run at Nigeria’s national level by some officials who were held responsible for the error that made Favour Ofili dump the country.
Sports247 reports that the enterprising sprinter recently confirmed her switch in allegiance to run for Turkey, instead of Nigeria, but Gara believes it would have been a different story had top shots of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) sacked all officials who disappointed her.
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He further cited another show of laxity on the part of athletics officials in a recent complaint aired by women’s world 100m hurdles record holder, Tobi Amusan, who spoke out against sub-standard kit the AFN gave Nigerian athletes at the world championship in Tokyo, Japan, which Gara tagged as an embarrassment for Nigeria.
Gara declared, “I respect Tobi a lot. For her to come out and say something like that means so much. This is a woman who has given Nigeria almost everything we need on the international platform.”
He further averred that Amusan, who won silver in the 100mH at this year’s World Athletics Championship in Tokyo, should be regarded as a Nigerian sports ambassador that would be protected from discomfort and not near negative issues in the national contingent.
Gara, who is also a former special assistant to the governor of Gombe State, added: “She has put us on the map of the global sports world. If we really are serious people, we could have used her as an ambassador.
“So, for her to come out and complain, it is really a sad situation for us. She has a right to complain, and for her to complain means it was very painful for her; but look at the nonsensical response from the AFN that kits were coming in batches.”
The all-round sports guru and philanthropist ended by pointing at past errors committed by AFN officials, especially that of Ofili at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, and stressed that such blights would continue to recur when people are not held accountable for their flaws.
Gara posited with affirmation, “It’s embarrassing to Nigeria, and it’s not the first time. Athletes have been complaining every time … but we do not care.
“Imagine what happened in France to Favour. An inquiry was done, and the report was ready. It was made public, and some people were indicted; but we find those people still coming back, and they are the ones running Nigerian athletics.”
