Blimey! They’ve Ruined Our National Stadium, UK Based Nigerian Coach Laments

IKPO IGBINOBA 

A former top-notch Nigerian handball coach based in the United Kingdom was close to tears at the weekend when he saw the sorry state of facilities and the condition of the National Stadium in Surulere.
Chief Adetunji Jibowu, a celebrated handball coach on the domestic scene before relocating to the UK described the present state of the stadium as a “national tragedy and disgrace”.
The former coach who is in the country on vacation gave the damning verdict after he undertook a trip round the 44-year old sports complex.
According to him “I couldn’t believe what I saw at the National Stadium today. The rot and decay of the edifice is enough to make one who was part and parcel of the place years back shed tears.
“I was shocked to my marrow with what I saw. What I saw was buying and selling instead of sporting activities. Most of the facilities were all decrepit due to lack of maintenance.
“Even the sports arenas are now serving other purposes outside sports. Social activities have taken over sports with drinking joints all over the place in a complex that was once a citadel of sports excellence”
He recalled with nostalgia his days as a staff of the National Sports Commission (NSC) in the ’70’s when he worked at the Registry Department and doubled as the handball coach.
“In those days, the National Stadium was all about sports.
“It was a very busy schedule at the handball court with trainings two times daily. Many players were discovered then. There were also regular competitions.
“And just as we were busy on the handball court , so also other players and coaches were busy in their respective sports arena”
“Such was the level of sporting activities at the National Stadium in those days that it was christened “Sportscity” by journalists of that era.
“But unfortunately what I saw today is heart-rendering. Nobody will believe that this same stadium which was built by the Gowon administration in 1973 for the 2nd All Africa Games was the best sports arena on the continent. Today it’s a shadow of its glorious past.”
Chief Jibowu appealed to the sports authorities to restore the dignity of the National Stadium by fixing the facilities.
“As the flagship of Nigerian sports, the National Stadium must be restored to its glorious days.
“Apart from fixing the facilities, the various sports federations should get their acts together and get sponsors to support their programmes and make the stadium busy again with sporting activities”
Chief Jibowu had a successful career as a goalkeeper with Stationery Stores of Lagos between the late 60s and early 70s during the golden era of the team.
He later took to handball in the mid 70s and also distinguished himself as a player and coach.
In 1976, he transferred his services to the then newly created Ogun state and introduced handball to the young state.
He proved his mettle as the best handball coach in the country in 1979 when he led Ogun state to gold medal at the National Sports Festival hosted in Ibadan.
Chief Jibowu repeated the feat in 1981 at the festival hosted in Benin City.