By Uzor Odigbo
One of Nigeria’s best hands in the athletics coaching foray, Shade Olalekan has said compared to Asia and most continents in the world, Nigeria stands out as one country richly endowed with sports talents in the World.
According to the Dubai based multi-purpose coach, Olalekan said in the Asia region where he is based, Coaches go to homes, schools, Communities to fish out and entice younger lads to embrace sports with little success.
Comparatively, in Nigeria, Sports Talents make themselves available in schools and Communities around us without encouragement by sports authorities.
Olalekan who moved to Asia as Athletics coach 15 years ago, majors mostly in sports fitness, Sprint events, Jumps, Shot, Middle and long distance races and have added Triagthlon a sport, he produced an Asian Champion.
He noted that only coaches, officials with zealous passion for Athletics and Spots in general would move Nigeria Sports forward.
“Money plays a huge role in today’s sports development, however, first have the passion and all will come together for you as a coach, administrator and athlete.”
The Coach whose wife was a long jumper in her hay days has incorporated his 14 year daughter into the sport and promised to assist her and others realise their sports dreams, talents and excel in Sports of their choice.
On Nigeria’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games targets, Olalekan posited that participating at any Olympic Games is free, but winning medals requires huge planning, Training, Competitions and welfare for Athletes.
“If Nigeria had not hit these targets three years ago, forget medals”.
“The Asians are in their third phase of their Olympic preparations, so do the Americas, and others. If I may ask about Nigeria’s preparations and targets, I will definitely be inundated with stories of no money and appointment of a committee to look into Nigeria preparations, but that’s not how to go about preparations for an Olympics that’s seven months away.
“I’m on holiday in Nigeria, why, because Olympics Games for us, have been taken care of. The fire brigade approach we always adopt in Nigeria never helped our quest for Olympic medals in recent times,” he said.
