Bayour Issah, a veteran and widely travelled sports journalist in this interview with MIKE ADEYEMI speaks on Kwara sports development, the FA elections and his hallmark in sports reportage. Excerpts.
Bayour Issah is synonymous with sports in Kwara, what made it so?
Well, if you say I am household name in Kwara, I would just want to belief that you are not flattering me.
Because I strongly believe that I am only making my humble contributions in the proffession I find myself, which I loved so much with full passion.
How would you rate sports development in the state?
I think without being bias or without coloring the answer, sports developments in Kwara state has moved from armchair development to practical development.
Kwara state was established in 1967, and of course since Kogi left and part of Benue-we find ourselves in such a situation that we have to harness the talent we have across the nook and cranny of the state.
We have the Kwara State stadium which was one of the best in the North Central, built by George Agbasika Innih, and till today the only stadium in the country with concentration of sporting activities be it table tennis, squash, baseball, lawn tennis, volleyball all within the confines of a particular stadium on like in other stadia where sporting activities are not wholly taken place.
That has been the advantage we have here and that is part of the level of development I’m talking about even though we expect more.
But, on the average, Kwara has done well because our sport men and women have been winning laurel for us at various national sports festival, International Doral, commonwealth games, all African games, even at the Olympics.
I can count 3 to 4 that have represented Nigeria who are products of Kwara State. Remember the late Sunday Baddah is an Olympics medalist; Bisi Afolabi is also an Olympics medalist who had done Kwara proud.
We have produced Atanda Musa, the master in table tennis who has won African champions, Kasali Lasisi who is a boxer. We have so many sports men and women in field and tracks and all strata of sports.
I think it is an advantage for us to say Kwara is a Mecca and Jerusalem of sporting events. But then because of the economic situation, some of our athletes are been poll by other state like Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa state.
You saw what happened at the last National Sports festival held in Abuja ,to me it is not a good development. I had taught that by now the state government ought to have formed a sports policy which will assist fashioning all sports men and women to find a way of dolling the colors of Kwara state.
The platform created for them in Kwara has actually opened a window for them to expand their tentacles interms of dexterity they have in different sports.
Over the years, we have had government come in and go who promised they want to do this and that without doing it. Though, they may have their challenges that we don’t know. But for we that our primary industry is sports felt that we needed a policy that will create the enabling environment that will give us manager that will not even go capital to meet the government.
Beyond rhetoric, we need to do things that are practical. We have gone out for sporting events, we discovered that it is the manager that drives sports.
If you don’t have people that have passion to drive sports we will get nowhere. Thank God we have Sports Director who has done well in person of Coach Tunde Kazeem. He was able to assemble a robust team of sports administration that has done well.
I think he should use that cognitive experience to bring on investors so that Kwara State sports can be rejevunated. Because, Sports is business. Gone are the days when people takes sports with levity.
Your products, your package determines the attraction from outside the world. I tell you an example. National pilot newspaper is a product of re-branding and that is why the medium is receiving patronage. So, I want to commend the managements of National Pilot for a job well-done because a seasoned administrator is in charge. The same thing applies in sports arena.
When you empower people, particularly the children to take active steps in sports at the formative stage of their carrier, you are building future for your country, you are building future for people to flourish.
Name the biggest sporting events you have covered so far?
Well, everybody knows that the most important global events across the world is the Olympics. I have being in London, though we did not win medal. And of course, I have also covered the World Cup in South Africa – Nigeria did not do well. I think that the major sporting events that I have covered that I want to be remembered for every day is the fact that I was with the under 17 soccer team at the United Arab Emirates. I came with the trophy. I told my wife that if there is, anything I have achieved in my 25 – 30 years career in sports, that was the event. That gives me a nostagia, great feeling that am proud of.
What led to your decision of taking sports reporting as a profession?
The journey dated back while I was in the secondary School where I used to follow events that has to do with sports aside the fact that I am a sport man myself.
From there to my Tertiary Institutions at the kaduna State Polytechnic and of course when I also started as a reporter . I believed strongly that the area I want to fashion my life on is sports, because sports is health and health is wealth.
You remember what pubertion the founder of modern Olympics said: ‘When you participate in sports, you are generally doing a selfless service and if favor comes your way fine, If not fine.’ That is why he further said at the Olympics that, if you lose, congratulate the winner and the winner should appreciate the loser.
So, that has been the turning point for somebody like me to go into researches that has to do with sports.
Basically, my business now is buying sports information and selling sports information.
Kwara FA election is around, what is your advice to the contestants?
The elective congress is here again to determine football administrators and technocrats that will lead Kwara football to greater heights. My appeal to the congress members is to vote for people who are knowledgeable, discipline, creative, transparent and resourceful.
The contestants should see the opportunity as a way to service. Serving football is like serving humanity. The round leather game is a unifying factor. Football can drive diplomacy, it can be used to factionalize many factors, hence for all of us to be united. We are our brothers keeper.
There should be a policy that will ensure smooth passage of transmission. Football in other climes are used for even economic growth and development. We should enschew any act of division and ensure we move kwara football to the next ladder. Kwara Football Association is a symbol of Kwara United
