Nigeria Has Potentials To Rule World Sailing, Says ex champ, Christie Okwara

IKPO IGBINOBA 

Former national Sailing champion, Christie Okwara believes Nigeria can dominate sailing on the global stage if deliberate steps are taken by the nation’s sports authorities.

Speaking exclusively to P.M. EXPRESS, the sailor noted that the country was blessed with the resources to rule the water sport.

According to her “Nigeria is divinely blessed with the talents and water bodies  required to raise world champions in not just sailing but other water sports.

She noted further “There’s no part of this country that is not overflowing with talented youth population. 

“And there’s also no part of the country that has no water bodies, like seas, creeks, rivers and lakes. We even have the ocean”

Christie lamented “Unfortunately, in spite of the natural endowments, Nigeria has remained minnows in Sailing”.  

She blamed the sports authorities for the stunted development of sailing which made its debut in Nigeria in October 1932.

“The Sports authorities should be blamed for the pathetic state of Sailing which is ninety years old in Nigeria” she said. 

“They have not paid the appropriate attention to the sports. Nigeria would have been in the big league of Sailing if the right attention had been given to it”.

Christie who dismissed the notion that sailing was an elitist sport said the Sports Ministry had the magic wand to popularise the sport.

” Sailing is not an elitist sport. People living in our creeks sail everyday, to the markets, to their farms and to visit their relations. Sailing is our way of life in several parts of Nigeria”.

“With the nature’s gifts, all the Ministry needs to do is to introduce sailing into the National Sports Festival programme.

“That policy will compel all the states in the federation to adopt sailing”

“Once, it becomes popular across the country, the private sector will move in with the provision of equipment and regular sponsorship of championships”.

She said Nigeria would be the nation to beat in international engagements and major Games in the not too distant future if her admonition was heeded.

The sailor who is a flight attendant with Arik Air also spoke of huge benefits for the country if Sailing was developed aside winning laurels in Games.

“Sailing will benefit the country in several other ways apart from winning laurels.

 “It will open a floodgate of economic activities and provide employment for the teeming population of youth who are now in the labour market.

“Nigeria,” the former national champion stressed “will be the hub of sailing on the continent because no country has the volume of water bodies like us”.

Christie praised the effort of the President of the Nigeria Rowing, Canoeing and Sailing Federation, rtd Rear Admiral Festus Porbeni in the development of Sailing.

According to her “Rear Admiral Porbeni has done a lot for Sailing since becoming the President of the federation,but then there is very little an individual can achieve in taking the sport to the level befitting a nation like  Nigeria with her natural endowments”.