3-8-2025
Former hammer throw national champion and Nigeria Coaches Association president Gabriel Opuana, said detractors bent on disparaging the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) by publishing false information are not helping Nigerian track and field development.
He said sports are meant to foster unity, friendship and youth development but some individuals who had benefited from the sport in the past are focused on causing discord.
“It is deplorable and utterly disappointing that critics who are not actively involved in sports administration, fail to recognize the achievements of other sports administrators except when they are in charge,” Opuana said.
The former Nigeria’s US athletes liaison official, stressed that while it is necessary to expose and address corruption in sports, it is also important to praise and encourage those making significant contributions to sports in Nigeria.
He continued: “The AFN needs sponsorship to support athletes’ welfare and help them to perform at their peak but detractors are bent on scaring away potential sponsors with their baseless and unfounded claims and I think this should stop henceforth.
“It’s imperative to state that all the claims made by Mr. Dare Esan in his article published in Sports Now on Friday is false and it’s capable of driving away sponsors as well as discouraging well-mean individuals from coming closer to athletics or sports in general.
“If Mr. Esan is sure of his facts as published in Sports Now, how come the same was not published on a credible platform such as Complete Sports where he’s still an Editor?” added the 63-year-old former Team Nigeria athlete.
Meanwhile, the former national champion has called on the leadership of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), to call Mr. Esan to order, because his reports and actions in the last 30 months towards the AFN negates the ethics of journalism profession and disservice to the growth of athletics in Nigeria.
Opuana enjoined detractors to sue for peace at a time stakeholders are gathered at the Yabatech Sports Complex in what has been a celebration of the country’s finest at the All Nigeria Athletics Championships which doubles as the National Trials for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.