As the countdown continues to the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Athletics Coaches Association of Nigeria has voiced concerns on the inclusion of foreign coaches in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s team list to the Games starting July 26.
ACAN noted that Nigerian coaches who have worked so hard to produce athletes are being over looked for US collegiate coaches who have contributed little or nothing to the athletes’ development.
A case in point is that of high jumper Temitope Adeshina who has her collegiate coach attached to her, while the Nigerian coach who brought her to limelight Kola Adebayo is grounded in Lagos. There are other athletes like Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chuwkwuma, Chinacherem Nnamdi, Nathaniel Ezekiel and of course Tobi Amusan who have their personal coaches going along with the team to the Olympics.
The Nigerian coaches in the delegation to Paris include Gabriel Okon, Endurance Ojokolo, Gabriel Opuana, Kayode Yaya and Alfa. But according to the ACAN, there was no need of including foreign coaches in the team to detriment of home grown coaches who can make more impact and also learn new methods by interacting with their colleagues from different parts of the world.
“Among the top African athletics nations… South Africa, Botswana, Kenya and Ethiopia how many have American coaches in their delegation? It is only Nigeria that is taking foreign coaches at the expense of Nigerian coaches,” said a statement made available by Solomon Aliu who is ACAN president.
“All the successes we’ve had in the history of the Olympics; in Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 were there any Americans coaches involved?
“Great Nigerian athletes who also were in the NCAA; people like Mary Onyali, Innocent Igbunike, Fali Ogunkoya and others did they bring their personal coaches to the Olympics?
“This knack for foreign coaches was introduced during the time of Solomon Ogba as AFN president, how has that helped us?
“At the last African Games in Ghana 80 percent of the athletes were home based; was it not Nigerian coaches who produced them?
“This was after a good number of our athletes left for the USA, yet we were still able to dominate the African Games with our own coaches.”
Ex international athletes also had their say in the issue. Commenting, former national triple jump champion, Olu Sule noted that apart from those born and brought up in the US, majority the athletes in the Nigerian team were discovered and groomed here in Nigeria by local coaches.
“Over 86 athletes left Nigerian with potentials for the US recently, was it not Nigerian coaches that brought them to that level,” coach Sule queried.
“Out of ten athletes who go to the US, only two or three make it. Why are the others failing, American coaches cannot help them?
“And what is the level of improvement by the athletes when they get to the USA? Coach Adebayo brought Temitope Adeshina to 1.96m and now she is doing 1.97m what is the difference?
“Now Adeshina is in Germany waiting for her school coach to join her, meanwhile while coach Adebayo he is here, he had to be sending her training program from Lagos; wouldn’t she be better off with Adebayo with her training?
“If we have the basic equipment available for training of our athletes we should be doing better than the USA without our athletes going over there.
“Look at Kayinsola Ajayi for example, he trained here with crude gym equipment and was doing 10.1 before he left for the US. With the little we have Nigerian coaches are working so hard to produce results.”
Former African long jump champion and national holder, Yusuf Alli urged the AFN to consider Nigerian coaches first.
“Our coaches are losing by not going to the Olympics.
“They should be there to learn from what others are doing. They should be part of the team and this does not stop any athlete who so desire to get their personal coaches.
“One thing is that US coaches would not do for us what our coaches can do.
“This idea of having personal coaches is not helpful at long run. Most especially in the relays, where you need the team practice as one unit, but you now have one athlete preferring to take the advise of her personal coach. This brings conflict of ideas and it often leads to break down in communication during the exchange and it has cost us.”
Also coach Lekan Soetan added:
“Coach Kola who has trained back to back national record holders in Doreen Amata and Temitope Adeshina was drop for a US collegiate coach who has not produce any Olympian? I don’t know what criteria that was used.
“Temitope has only been in the school just a couple of months and the US coach can lay claim of developing her to that level? With her 1.97, she can jump 2m and be on the podium and you leave the coach who can motivate her behind? The girl is still communicating with coach Kola; they are doing virtual training. With this you cannot get the best out of the girl
“Again you are also bringing an American to train our 4×1. America and Jamaica who are in the same race competing with us? This doesn’t make any sense.”
Nigeria Coaches Association president, Gabriel Opuana noted that local coaches are as good as their foreign counterparts and it was up to the Sports Ministry to motivate them to do more than they are doing.
“Blame the sports ministry, because they said they would prefer coaches from abroad and this is not good for the development of our coaches,” said Opuana.
“Our coaches should not be overlooked for foreign coaches, because our coaches are good and could be better.
“If the American coaches are so good why are they not in the American team?
“In the past the same sports ministry use to sponsor Nigerian coaches to Europe and elsewhere for training but this not the case presently.
“This is why the NCA is pushing for our coaches to be exposed to modern trends and we are working to get corporate and private sponsorships.”
The AFN president Tonobok Okowa and technical director Samuel Onikekun did not respond when asked for their comments.
