Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - GOVERNMENT’S REWARD FOR SUPER EAGLES – Do you Support Obasanjo’s Handshake or Good Luck Jonathan’s C

[Alfred Zack-Williams]

Dear Olu,

How do you deal with the deficiencies your are highlighting? Is it by the Nigerian state stop 'spoon feeding sports?' Oh dear! Another advocate of neo-Liberalism in sport. How do you think the success of the British Olympic came about? It is something called The National Lottery that the state set up to finance such projects. Would business people put their money their if they cannot reap a big profit? Let's face it, Abrahamovic of 'Chelski' is not typical. 

Tunde

Sent from my iPad

On 25 Feb 2013, at 14:28, Olu Abejide <mys...@ymail.com> wrote:

I share in the joy. Growing up in Nigeria, I thought rewarding the players should be a national responsibility because then I thought the world bowed to Nigeria for its superior talents in soccer. I saw Christian Chukwu as a president given his accomplishment in the sector. But then I came to US and observed the business of sports and how it impacts the economy of the local city where they are located and its overall contribution to national economic stats.

I am disappointed Nigeria government spoon feeds the sports sector and every little win is reason for state and national dipping of hands into the treasury to ‘DASH’ money and embezzle as well.

If Nigeria is such a power house of sports, its performance at world stage has been dismal, only one appearance at a regular World Cup game – World Cup USA 94, no Olympics gold medals ever in track and field, Olympics gold for soccer in Atlanta 1996 – which is not much of a prestige for Olympics appearance.

If Nigerians are crazy about soccer, how come it has not mushroomed into an economic engine as a self sustaining sector? It cannot because what plagues the leadership of the nation is evident in the way the sports sector is run – malfeasance and incompetence. In World Cup 94, I served as Super Eagles Team Escort on behalf of FIFA, and had the unique opportunity to interact with the players and management, what transpired were shoddy conducts that it was a miracle Nigeria won their first game against Bulgaria in Dallas. Read More

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