By Daily Sports on December 2, 2016

By Augustine Kalu

Former national and Commonwealth boxing champion and the immediate past national boxing coach, Obisia Nwamkpa, has identified where the country got it wrong in sports administration, which has, in turn, hampered the country’s sports development.

According to the All Africa Games and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Nigeria lost it when she discarded National Championship date. He said the National Championship Date used to be a date set aside by the authorities through which athletes in various sports in the country are meant to compete and athletes selected to be groomed for use by the country.

He explained that since those in helm of affairs in sports in the country discarded the national championship date all has never been well with Nigerian sports particularly boxing.

He lamented that there are no more competitions to prepare boxers for international engagements saying there used to be friendly boxing competition between Ghana and Nigeria through which friendship is built between the two West African neighbours. Coach Obisia stated this in an exclusive interview with Daily Sports at the National Stadium Surulere-Lagos recently.

“I am sorry to say that we lost our sports development programme many years ago when we forfeited our National Championship Date,” Obisia Nwamkpa declared.

“The National Championship Date used to be constant in our sporting calendar during our time as athletes. It was during this Championship Dates that athletes from various sports have their competitions to put them in sporting mood for the year and for selection to be groomed for the use of the country. Unfortunately, those at the helm of affairs decided to forfeit it without explanation and since then, our sports has never been the same,” Obisia Nwamkpa lamented.

“As we speak, there is no chairman or member of the various association or federations as they are called today that is clamouring for the return of the National Championship Date. So many things are wrong with our sports development.

“So, since we have forfeited that National Championship Date and since nobody wants it returned; everybody does what he or she likes at will. There is no developmental plans and programmes any more. They are only interested in competitions because that is where money comes from. Nobody is interested in the development of sports any longer in the country,” an obviously sad Obisia Nwamkpa lamented.

“In those days, we used to have friendly boxing bouts with Ghana. During that championship, both countries use it to build friendship and to assess their boxing development. But today, nobody remembers that such a tournament used to hold. And all these are not the fault of the athletes but that of administration. Sports administration is dead in this country particularly after the exit of Dr. Amos Adamu. He was the last sports administrator that Nigeria had.

Speaking further, the Abia State-born pugilist turned coach said: “To buttress what I am telling you, it takes four years or 48 months to prepare for the Olympics, but Nigeria only devote between two to three months to prepare for either the Olympics where the best of the world compete, same with Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games.

“The irony of it is that with such sordid preparations they will be mouthing how many gold medals that they will be returning from such international competitions. It is really laughable because it is either they are doing so to deceive innocent Nigerians who are ignorant of what it takes to win medals at such competitions or they are just doing it out of their ignorance,” the boxing legend explained.

•Photo shows boxing legend Obisia Nwamkpa.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 2, 2016

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