A call has come out from a top sports official for all old athletes in Team Nigeria to retire and younger ones allowed to take up prominent roles.
This is the down-to-earth verdict of the president of Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF), Abdullahi Saidu-Baba, who is of a strong view that only an influx of young athletes can elevate Nigeria’s fortunes in international competitions.
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Saidu-Baba gave this assertion while fielding questions on his thoughts about Team Nigeria’s results at the just concluded 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.
While acknowledging that Nigeria’s athletes proved many doubters wrong with their performances, which eventually led to a second position finish on the final medals table, Saidu-Baba was of a view that it could have been better with younger athletes in the contingent.
He has, therefore, advocated the retirement of all old athletes in each of the sports categories; to pave the way for new blood heading into the 14th African Games in Cairo, Egypt.
The taekwondo buff further averred that the weeding and replacement process should be set in motion towards this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, France, as well as the National Sports Festival in November.
He went on to propound strategies that are needed in the next grooming process and, while using taekwondo as a reference point, stressed that good height and outstanding physical conditions should be among criteria used in selecting medal winning youngsters.
Saidu-Baba expatiated: “I think what we need to do is go back home and check for areas of correction. Those athletes that are ageing, we need to retire them and start building up young athletes with good height.
“There are some events that need height and some that don’t need it. We need to look at these parameters and begin to prepare our young athletes across the nation towards the next Games in Egypt.
“Aside that, we must look keenly at preparation. We need to give them enough exposure. These athletes need more competitions – more competitions locally, more competitions regionally, more competitions internationally.
“We have G1, G2, G4, G8, G20 tournaments. Believe me, by the time our athletes go for the respective events that they fit into, we’ll be ready for the next African Games.
“Our biggest problem, though, is that we don’t start early. Why are we starting late – two months, three months? Our National Sports Festival is coming in November. We should instil these events into the sports festival. When we do that, we are preparing the mind of the athletes for what is coming ahead ”
He, however, concluded by noting the problem of funding, which has bedevilled many efforts of Nigeria’s talents, and concluded with a warning that all plans in winning medals would fall short if enough money is not provided at the right time.
