GOV UDUAGHAN SPEAKS:

Sports summit: How Uduaghan took the initiative!

Two days after the final of the 100m for women Dr. Emmanuel Udughan, the Governor of Delta State was on line to the Nigerian camp at the London Olympics.
Nigeria had gone to the Olympics banking on only one athlete for a possible gold medal. That was how bad things had gone for a country of over 150 million people. Only Blessing Okagbare could be referred to a world class athlete going by her bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics and the progress she had made in the in the run-up to the Olympics.

She had run some good races, beating the best in the world in Crystal Palace (10.99 seconds) and in Monaco (10.96 seconds) just one week to the London games.
Expectations were high. Many dreamed Olympic medal from this Delta athlete. But on the day it mattered most Blessing raced to a place at the back and not in front. Pity she said she had a cramp.
Nigeria’s dream crashed with her. This pained Uduaghan. He had supported Blessing and other athletes as part of his contribution to Nigeria’s participation at the Olympics.
He paid some Olympic bound athletes training grants, he hosted an athletics event in Warri largely to prepare them and personally encouraged and motivated the athletes. And when Blessing crashed in the 100m final Uduaghan called to still inspire her and boost the morale of the Nigerian contingent.
No other Nigerian leader showed the kind of interest Uduaghan demonstrated before and during the London Olympics. It was after chatting with Blessing that he nursed the idea of a sports summit. It was borne out of his sheer passion for sports. It was borne out of sheer patriotism for motherland.
He watched on television as Nigerian athletes crashed in all events. Track and field produced some finalists. Other sports failed woefully.
“What is happening to Nigeria’s sports?” the governor asked this reporter on phone shortly after the chat with Okagbare. “I think that Nigerians don’t know how deep the rot in our sports is,” he continued. “We are no longer developing athletes and the problem started when the federal government took over schools.