Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has decried the continuous decline of sporting activities in Nigeria. He said the decline in sports is also affecting the nation’s economic and that the growth of every nation must reflect its improvement in sports.
The governor made the remark when the Senate committee on sports paid him a courtesy visit at the government house in Bauchi. He observed that the decline in sports is a barometer of underdevelopment in the country. “It’s sad to note that the barometer of measuring stability, welfare is by the kind of sporting activities engaged by states. Sports normally is targeted at primary and secondary schools but presently, our schools don’t have football, hockey, basketball, lawn Tennis playing pitches unlike during our time, this shows that our economy is not doing well in terms of sports” he said
He said sports not only created job opportunities to the teeming youth in the country but also improves security in different communities. He opined that if sports is to take its former shape, funds must be made by states government and where it shows its incapacity then the federal government should assist. “It’s not a big deal for the federal government to build 20 stadia yearly that is what is obtained in the world; states cannot do it alone because you don’t expect an athlete going for Olympic Games to train in sub standard track and you expect him to win a medal. I must commend the senate for its intervention to rescue sports particularly in the area of investment.” He said.
Yuguda described Nigeria’s failure to grab a medal at the last London Olympic as an embarrassment to President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and called on the FG to refund about N1b which the state committed in putting standard facilities at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa stadium to host the FIFA world cup.
