Making varsities athletes’ breeding ground

University of Ilorin Female Basketball team during the West African Universities Games (WAUG) hosted by the institution recently PHOTO: MICHAEL ADEBAYO

In the past, universities produced the bulk of athletes that represented the country in global sporting events. Through the Nigeria Universities Games  (NUGA) and West African Universities Games (WAUG), talents were discovered and nurtured. All of a sudden, things changed and the result was the country’s dismal outing at the last London Olympics. GILBERT ALASA (400-Level Foreign Languages, University of Benin), writes on resuscitating campus games to drive national sport.

The football pitch was patchy. Kits were not  available. So, many of the participating athletes borrowed jerseys, ankle pads and footwears from friends. Even the glucose - the energy giving drink - was bought  with contributions by the athletes. The First Aid Box was scanty.

At times, the materials are provided by the authorities. But this happens only during“crucial” matches. “Crucial matches” refer to major local or international competitions, such as the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA), West African University Games (WAUG) and World Universities Games, among others.

After these competitions, the students are left to their own devices and the cycle continues. This is the low into which campus sports has sunk. Perhaps it could be responsible for Nigeria’s uninspiring outing in major sports competitions across the world.

Sport has mental and psychological benefits. Aside its unifying advantage, it is a great economic booster for a nation and a strong weapon for fighting unemployment. At last year’s Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA), President Goodluck Jonathan said sportsmen and women wield enormous influence on the global stage, adding that such inter-universities competitions are vital to prepare the country’s athletes (Nigerian sportsmen) for the just ended London Olympics. 

The President said: “Some of the most wealthy and popular personalities in the world today are sportsmen and women or personalities involved in some way in the administration of sports. The 23rd NUGA Games, in my mind, could not have come at a more opportune time as it signalled the beginning of our preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and several other international competitions.” 

But Nigerian athletes performed poorly at the games. It was the country’s worst outing in recent times. It won no medal in all the events it participated in. But Nigerian athletes. 

Countries such as France, United States and Russia, that` do well in sport, it was learnt, recruit athletes from the universities. In most of these universities, students are required to register for certain courses in sport. Facilities are  provided for their training and motivation. Students enjoy scholarships to pursue their careers in sports.

In Nigeria, there is little or no attention to sporting activities on campuses. 

“Here sport enthusiasts are considered unserious. They are derided by lecturers and, sometimes, they are despised by their colleagues. The premium placed on academics is so overwhelming that no thought is spared for other essential aspects of a student’s life. A lot of highly-talented athletes are wasting away on our campuses,” said Chika Eletuoanya, 400-Level Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

In many universities, sporting facilities are lacking, stalling the emergence of successful world rated atheletes.

“There is a saying that one cannot build something on nothing. Facilities are to sports what raw materials are to industries. So, the dearth of sporting facilities in our universities spells doom for campus sport. Let our school managements and governments rise to the occasion by providing us with appropriate facilities” said Tosin Kawona, 400-Level Foreign Languages, Lagos State University (LASU).

Sport lovers on campuses are unhappy over the management’s attitude to sport. They believe  Nigeria’s hope of rearing great sportsmen is dampened by laxity of school authorities that support teams only at external competitions. In a report in the Global Journal of Medical Research, Dr Jeroh Eruteyan of Delta State University (DELSU), said: “Our academics do not allocate any period to sports in their curricula.”

Saturday Osarumwese, 200-Level International Studies and Diplomacy af the University of Benin (UNIBEN), said if the neglect is allowed to continue, campus sport would continue to decline. 

“Today, the state of sporting activities on campus is nothing to write home about, especially with the indifference of management,” Saturday said.

He added: “As a sportsman, regular training is necessary if one must make something out of his sporting career. But what happens most times is that one risks failure because of the attitude of lecturers who conduct their continuous assessments (CA) even during critical training hours. Consequently, one is faced with the options of either watching himself fail academically or staying out of sporting altogether.”

In many tertiary institutions in the country, sporting activities are rituals marking freshers’ orientation, students’ week, students’ union and religious activities. But misappropriation of fund and poor co-ordination have marred sport administration on campuses. Last year, a president of the Faculty of Arts Students Association (FASA) at UNIBEN was suspended by the faculty’s parliament for alleged financial impropriety.

Raphael Achomi, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi (AUCHIPOLY), said the administration of campus sports should be entrusted to competent hands.

“Sadly, on many campuses, corrupt persons hold sway in sport administration. Remember, it is all politics and morally upright persons hardly find their way to the seat of power. These self-serving leaders are known to pull the strings through various means to get money. But such money is used to satisfy personal frivolities.”

As big names in sport failed at the Olympics, administrators, students and stakeholders are calling for restoration of grassroots sport to redeem the nation’s glory in local and international competitions. Students, who spoke to CAMPUSLIFE, said school authorities and government must invest in campus sport to shore up the athletes’ base for international competitions.