Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria in the first quarter of the outgoing year, many sectors including sports have suffered set back.
While some sectors are gradually picking up, the sports sector is yet to recover from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, unlike in some countries.
To say the fact, many indigenous athletes who do not have other means of livelihood have been living on people’s mercy for survival through social media.
The states they are representing have stopped payment of their monthly allowances, which were even not enough to cater for their needs.
Also, the hope of some of them to represent their states at the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival, which had suffered three postponements, was dashed as the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had to pick February 14, 2021 for the commencement of the biannual games.
Many of the athletes have been training and hoping to win medals at the festival, which will in turn result into receiving monetary rewards from their state governments.
For so many years, Nigeria has been recording brain drain in the sports sector, due to lack of motivation and improved welfare packages for the nation’s athletes.
Nigerian athletes switched nationalities and went as far to represent countries like Bahrain, Norway, Qatar, United States of America, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Britain.
Some of the athletes, who attributed lack of welfare on the part of the government for their reason for dumping the country, have been bringing glory to their adopted countries.
This calls for concern, as Nigeria is blessed with a lot of sporting stars, however, if urgent attention is not given to the welfare of the nation’s athletes, the country will continue to experience brain drain in the sports sector.
State and Federal governments should come up with modalities that will ensure payment of monthly pensions to all athletes, as it is being done in developed countries.
Governments should not wait to hear about the deteriorating health conditions of some athletes before coming up with a fund raising programme. The nation’s sports men and women need to be appreciated annually.
Corporate bodies and well-meaning Nigerians should equally complement the efforts of the governments by spreading hands of fellowship and love to the nation’s athletes.
It is believed that when the nation’s athletes are given adequate care during their active years, there would be less burden on the governments to cater for them when they retire and thereby, affirming that the labour of the nation’s heroes should not be in vain.
Olaolu Fawole
pub-5160901092443552
Related Posts
