By Baba Oscu, Bauchi
Despite the substantial sums of Money provided by the Bauchi State Government under the dynamic leadership of Governor Bala Abdullkadir Mohammed, for sponsorship of the State Contingents to the just concluded 7th national youth Games in Asaba , Delta State, Bauchi Contingents became mere observers or onlookers in the National annual fiesta without the much needed and necessary performance to attract laurels.
Bauchi State Contingents to Asaba was under the tutulage and guidance of the State Sports Council Overseeing Director of Sports, Mallam Bello Abdullahi who was given all the necessary moral and financial support to do the needful in all encompassing national games, but disgracefully the State representatives performed far below expectations.
Shortly after safe arriving in Asaba, on the 22nd September, 2023, the over seeing director in the State Mallam Bello Abdullahi, told journalists that the State athletes will give a surprise at the end of the tournament as he assured of an outstanding performance from the athlets during the games in all departments.
Unfortunately five days into the commencement of the competition the State with 150 athletes and over 30 officials participating in 19 different games yet to win a single medal as many states already swimming in golds, silvers and bronze medals.
From the records made available to sports journalists at the just concluded event, Bauchi State was leading States that are yet to justify their states tax payers Money invested on them by their various state Governments.
As the competition advances, precisely on the sixth day, Team Bauchi recorded it first silver medal win in Gymnastics Hommel Horse through Hamza Ibrahim. Another Female athlete on same day also impressed the State with a bronze medal in gymnastics.
It was a combined efforts of team Bauchi’s wrestling Coach and his two male athletes that brought two additional bronze medals to the state.
In Hockey and Badminton both single and double Bauchi lost out in quarter finals due to inferiority complex as their opponents were better and properly kitted thereby frostrated the efforts of the Bauchi side.
As the games getting close to round up, each participating state geared more efforts in encouraging their athletes to record more success to their states to have a good position in the final Medals table list, unfortunately for team Bauchi’s Abubakar Mammadi who was ready to confront his opponent from Adamawa State in Karate +50kg and Hamza Muhammed hopefully set to bring gold medal for Bauchi in – 50kg against his challenger from Kano, were disgracefully announced walkover by the officials of the match for reasons of not appearing in a proper approved equipment needed to complete in the game.
With this development therefore, team Bauchi’s hopes to get further Medals dashed as the issue of none purchase of sporting equipments to the athlets by the state Sports Council, seriously affected the performance of the State,despite huge sums of Money bankrolled by the state government to take care of both equipments, allowances and everything concerning participation in the 7th National Youth Games.
In an interview with some coaches, organizing Secretaries and athletes in various games centers, during and after the competition in Asaba and back home, they expressed dismay over the way and manner the sports council Management, selfishly handles the competition with what they described as ” I don’t care attitude over the responsibility vested on them by the state government”.
According to them, “the overseeing director of Sports Mallam Bello Abdullahi, the head of technical Sule Abdulhamed lilimaro and head of planing Salisu Garba should be held responsible for the worst appearance, disgraceful record, and deliberate injury to the good reputation of Bauchi State in the just concluded 7th NYG Asaba 2023”.
They also accused the management for shamelessly given some coaches #20,000 to #25,000 in the name of buying equipments at the venue after their players were disgraced to go and prepare for the games by the match officials.
The critical actors appealed to Bauchi State Government to with immediate effect constitute an investigation Committee to find out the circumstances behind waisting Bauchi tax payers Money by the State Sports Council top officials at the jamboree goofs attended at Asaba which only favours them.
Apex news gathered that Bauchi athletes, coaches organizing Secretaries at the 7th NYG complaints betterly over short payment of their allowances which was #5000 per day for the coaches and #2500 for the athlets which they described as not encouraging compared to their counterparts from other States that did not get half of what Bauchi state government invested in the NYG.
Investigation by our Sports journalist also revealed that, the coaches, organizing Secretaries, athletes and other supporting staff like drivers etc, were not paid their journey allowances Which made their stay very unconfortable as they felt shortchanged by the sports council and therefore decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the events until their remaining balance of allowances is paid to them.
Panic with this development, the sports director after an instant short meeting with his head of technical and head of planing, sent a threat message to the camp that any coach or athlete who did not attend the closing ceremony will face the quenciquence immediately after they returned home.
Unfortunately for the council, the parties concerned insisted that they will not attend and were ready for the worst to happen on return.
On hearing that, the Director became worried and went to the camp with his management to beg some coaches to convince the athlets to attend the Closing ceremony with a promise to pay them their remaining balance of allowances two weeks after returning home. It was under this agreed condition between the Director, coaches and athletes that they participated in the closing ceremony with only one Silver and three bronze medals Which placed the State on 29th position out of 36 States that participated in the NYG.
Also revealed was that during the journey to Asaba, the whole athletes, coaches, organizing Secretaries and others were sandwiched in only 9 Vehicles as against 13 earlier made public by the sports Council management.
All efforts to balance the story from the overseeing director of Sports failed as he told me on phone that he will not talk, but directed me to the head of technical who also refired me back to the overseeing sports director.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.