Sports

SPORTS PERSONALITY: KWSG should place athletes on payroll – Coach Abiodun

 

Adeyemi Abiodun is the Head Coach Kwara Track and Field. In this
interview with MIKE ADEYEMI he speaks about the performance of the
Kwara Athletes at the International level in the recent time as well
as the need for the Kwara State Government to motivates her Athletes
by placing them on a payroll just like the footballers. Excerpts:

How would you rate Kwara Athletics in the recent time?
Well, for the past six years now in terms of youths , Kwara Athletics
has been leading in the whole federation.
This is because basically we focuses on youth’s talent discovery. We
placed more emphasizes on talent hunts at the grassroots across each
Local Government in the state and we nurtured them to stardom.
Kwara have produced lots of athletes that are doing the state proud
outside the country through the help of the Chairman Kwara Athletics
Association.
How many competitions has Kwara Athletics participated in the recent time?
We have taken our national athletes to the African junior championship
in Ivory-Coast this year February. Likewise in Cameroon at the senior
Championship representing Nigeria.
Some of our athletes includes, Gbenga Bankole, David Olowookere,
Emmanuel Injoku, Teslim Oyedele and Yusuf Mohammed are all Kwaras that
have made Nigeria proud in the field of athletics.
What has been the major impediment before Kwara Athletics?
Kwara athletics has bedeviled with lot of challenges in terms of
finance. Grooming athletes is capital intensive, but with the help of
the chairman Kwara Athletics Association Mall. Tunde Abdulkareem, we
were able to move on with the challenges.
Has it been anytime the Kwara State Government come to the aid of
Kwara Athletes?
No. Several time they would say there is an approval but later without
the cash backing. But we belived in the present Kwara State
Government.
The Governor is a sport loving person and with the experience we had
at the last youth games, hopefully the new Government will pay more
attention to us than the previous Government.
We want to appeal to the Government to place more values on our
Athletes like they do to footballer.
Are you saying the Kwara State Government prioritize football over athletics?
Yes, the government seems placed focus on footballers than athletes.
The footballers are on government payroll, the same with basketballers
at the expense of athletes.
It’s unfortunate that lots of assistance are not given to Kwara athletics.
Is that attributed to why some athletes leaves Kwara for other states?
Yes. Last year, some of them left to other state because they were demotivated.
But with the help of God and that of the Chairman of Kwara Athletics
we were able to get the athletes back to the state.
What is your vission and mission for Kwara Athletes?
My vision has been that Kwara should go back to its lost glory in
tracks and field. Kwara athletics in time memorial is one of the best
in Nigeria.
But unfortunately, we have receded in the recent time owing to some
act of demotivation by the previous Government.
What competitions are ahead of Kwara Athletics for now?
Presently we are preparing for all National Sports Festival Games in
Edo State. Likewise the Olympics next year. We are preparing for
Common Wealth youth Games, African Youth Games, World Junior
Championship all coming up next year.
Would you say Kwara Athletes can rob shoulders with other States in
terms of performance?
Yes. In fact what we pictured is that the way Jamaican stated, we had
to go back to the grassroots and that is what we are doing now.

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