Lagos Is Planning Long Term Incentive And Welfare Package For Athletes To Curb Poaching – Aiyepeku

Sola Aiyepeku is the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission. He is a sports administrator per excellence and a technocrat who knows his onion when it comes to sports in Nigeria. He spoke with P.M. EXPRESS In Benin to take a quick review of Team Lagos’ participation at the just concluded 20th National Sports Festival tagged Edo 2020. Aiyepeku frown at certain things that happened in Edo especially the win at all costs syndrome of some states, which he described as being very unfortunate for both athletes and sports development in the country and many other issues going forward for sports in Lagos State.

General assessment of Lagos boxers at Edo 2020

Lagos is very dominant in boxing and the results at the festival was a testimony of this. We exposed these boxers to rigorous training before coming to Edo festival
I want to say that what we see in the boxing events was a testimony of what we really want to project. We were happy we have seen them threw punches and we are happy we have seen them winning medals for the state. There is no doubt that we will continue to encourage them to do better in subsequent tournaments.

Is the fifth position of Team Lagos a true reflection of the performance of team at the festival?

The main thing for us is developmental and for the young athletes to see that they have a platform where they can perform. We will not rest on our oars for us to continue to provide that platform for the athletes not just to represent themselves, but the state and the country so that they can make good progress in their careers.

Your reaction on three of Team Lagos male football players who are penciled down for recruitment by the Edo State Government for Bendel Insurance

I am really surprised that it was three players they are looking for among our footballers because all of them are best materials any day any time. It is a normal thing that players are recognised in competition like this. We will put in everything within our disposal to keep on developing and improving on our athletes.
We are already finalised our plans on how to treat our athletes better than what we are currently doing. We are planning a long term approach for the welfare of our athletes. After the festival, we will begin to unveil these plans. But the bottom line is that Lagos will no longer train athletes for other states to poach again. We won’t allow this henceforth. We have long term plans which the athletes will see for themselves that it is more beneficial to stay in Lagos than running to other states. Stability is key in athletes and sports development, and there is always a prize for loyalty. When you are loyal, you get the rewards that come with it and for the sacrifice that you have made.
Take for example in marriage, you don’t say when things are good you stay and when things are bad you run away. We want to begin to make more good in our sports henceforth. We will make benefit and reward system very attractive. We will do our best, but we are all human being, at the end of the day it will be up to the athletes to decide where he or she will stay, but we will not hold anybody back.

Why Lagos came to the festival with 11 boxers?

The numbers of boxers may not however determine the numbers of medals to be won. It is not a game of number. However, the impression we got before coming to Edo was that we had to reduce our contingent for the festival, but next time we will know how to handle the situation.

Plan of the Sports Commission on Adopt-A-Talent programme where private individuals and companies will invest in Lagos State athletes for career development.

Firstly, you have to make what you are doing attractive. Adopt-A-Talent scheme worked very well in the past. At a stage, there was sponsorship fatigue because there was no next step in the scheme. What is the next step for athletes who go for a tournament and win medals? The next step is where the private sector comes in. What are we doing to celebrate those who have won medals for them to get notice by the world around us. Nobody is telling the stories of these champions very well. Why would the private sector come and invest when there is no noise around these athletes? Publicity is key to attract private investors for these athletes.
What we are planning to do now is to tell the success stories of these athletes. Already, we have begun to compile data of what had happened in the last few sports festival and the just concluded Edo 2020. You can see what happened in the taekwondo event in Edo, one of our athletes, who is about eight months pregnant competed and won a gold medal for Team Lagos. This was the first gold medal we won. Nobody know about her, but now she is a big story. The Deputy Governor of Edo State informed me about their plan to give her an award as a reward for her tenacity and determination
I want to appeal to our friends in the media to help tell the stories of these athletes. When these stories are being told, the private sector will see the need to invest in the athletes. Very soon, we are going to announce one or two sponsors with the Lagos State Sports Commission from the private sector. As we are getting results, we will be attracting investors so that the foundation will be laid for a better sports industry in Lagos State.

Is long term plan you just mentioned a ploy to stop poaching of Lagos State athletes?

The main thing is to focus on what is in important, and what is really important? It is about the athletes. If there is plan that will be beneficial to the athletes in the long term, I believe the athletes and their advisors will see reason in not looking elsewhere. We want to play our card very well, but in the process, we won’t force anybody to take decisions. We will clearly spell out the benefits of representing Lagos State and the fallouts. We discover that many people use Lagos sports facilities for free. So after Edo 2020 sports festival, we will not allow that anymore. If you want to represent other states, you will have to go to that state to train. We want to get commercial values for our training facilities now. We will put hand in hand the incentives and the benefits of putting on the colours of Lagos State in national competitions for the athletes to see for them to take a proper decision on where they want to go and where to belong.

Are you satisfied with the standard of Edo 2020 National Sports Festival?

In the area of organisation, a bit more could be done, but don’t forget that the tournament suffered several postponements which affected the planning for the tournament, and believe me, every stakeholder was on the same page on getting the festival done because there is another festival scheduled for next year. So the next host state has about a year to prepare. It is good that we have done this Edo 2020. We can always improve. Another thing is that there are some fundamentals which I won’t say now that need to be addressed particularly on win at all costs syndrome. When the target is on winning at all costs, I must confess, we can never have a robust and attractive festival because people will do all they can just to win. This is very bad for Nigerian sports. We all saw what happened throughout the Edo 2020 festival, it is so sad to see some of the scenario at play all over the place. We need to seat down to do a rethink about how best we must organise a befitting sports festival in the country.

What is the experience you are taking home from Edo 2020 National Sports Festival?

We must begin to invest on our youths.

How is the Lagos State Sports Commission pushing the bid for the National Youth Games?

Formal discussions have been held and we are very much expectant that we will win the hosting right for the National Youth Games for a 5-year deal, anything less will be a failure and we don’t want to fail. By the grace of God we will get the hosting right.