Delta State recently won the National Sports Festival for the fifth time in Lagos State. The state's sports commission chairman, Pinnick Amaju, attributes their success to several factors, reports 'TANA AIYEJINA
Pinnick Amaju walked into the media centre of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (Lagos chapter) on Sunday. The Delta State Sports Commission chairman carried a swagger. Of course who wouldn't? Delta had just dethroned rivals Rivers State to win the National Sports Festival for the fifth time.
He arrived at the SWAN secretariat inside the National Stadium, Surulere, straight from The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Anthony, Lagos, where a thanksgiving service was held for the victorious Delta contingent.
Walking beside him was a tall, fair-skinned, beautiful and athletic lady dressed in Team Delta official outfit. She could have been mistaken for Team Delta captain.
But Amaju cleared the air. "You think she is an athlete? No she isn't, this is Mrs. Amaju, my wife," he said while pulling the smiling woman closer.
With an air of confidence, he tells you the state knew they had won the 18th edition of the festival, tagged Eko 2012, even before it started.
"During our state sports festival, we were shattering the NSF records, so we knew we were going to win the NSF for the fifth time. And we won with a margin of about 40 gold medals," he said.
"We started preparations early and imbibed three principles namely hard work, discipline and prayerfulness. We improved in areas we were lacking before. For instance at the 2009 edition in Kaduna, we won just one weightlifting gold but we got 16 in Lagos. It applied to other sports.
"Delta defeated almighty Lagos in the cricket event. We had a decent presence in all areas; we gave all associations equal opportunities and we brought in experts, even non-Nigerians to work with our athletes.
"Sports is not lottery. In lottery, you can wake up and become a billionaire but in sports, you have to train hard to win. So we prepared to win."
Delta won an amazing 288 medals: 116 gold, 99 silver and 75 bronze to emerge overwhelming winners ahead of champions of the 2011 edition, Rivers, who carted home 76 gold, 71 silver and 70 bronze medals to place second.
Hosts Lagos with 64 gold, 47 silver and 71 bronze came third while Edo State, whose fortunes continue to dwindle at the festival, emerged in fourth place with 25 gold, 23 silver and 44 bronze medals.
Delta has over the years become perennial favourites of the festival since the state was created in 1991 from the former Bendel State and wields a reputation for grooming some of the best Nigerian sportsmen and woman.
The state had earlier won the competition in 1991, 2004, 2006 and 2009. They came second behind Rivers in 2011.
Amaju says an integration of the athletes into the state's workforce and a reward for excellence has been the major reasons behind Delta's sustained superiority in recent editions of the games.
He said, "In Delta, we create a comfort zone for our athletes. There's life after participating in the festival but 90 per cent of athletes at Eko 2012 are not sure of their tomorrows. So they do other things rather than concentrate on their calling.
"However, in Delta, we employ our athletes. Blessing Okagbare, Endurance Abinuwa and Stanley Gbagbeke are officers of the state's sports commission. Okagbare started as a Level 5 officer but when she got her degree, she was promoted to Level 8. She can become head of the commission in future.
"From January, they will start collecting salaries from 24th of every month; they must also go to school while working with us."
Amaju believes every state in the country can excel like Delta only if they can identify and tap the sports potential in their areas.
"Every state in Nigeria is endowed. In Delta, cycling is done in Agbor because of the topography of the area. States in the north can concentrate on long distance races and cycling.
"In Taraba State, there's a tribe renowned for using bow and arrow to fight their wars; you can convert such people to archery.
"Each state has their policies; some believe in building schools and hospitals but we are different."
On his assessment of Eko 2012, Amaju admits the media played a major role in ensuring a successful festival.
He said, "The media was the watchdog of the whole exercise and that is why it was successful. They played a central role in the games and officials were aware of the fact that Lagos is home of the media.
"After Port Harcourt, there were some fundamental issues regarding the win-at-all-cost syndrome but Lagos hosted this festival their own way.
"They provided the platform for everybody to perform fairly. It is a radical departure from what we saw in Port Harcourt. There is no basis for comparisons.
"For instance, a lot of money was spent on the opening ceremony in Port Harcourt but Lagos spent less, went into history and captivated the fans. Of course there were teething problems but Eko 2012 was a successful festival."
The sports administrator is in full support of calls to throw the biennial festival open again after it was closed to elite athletes.
"I have always canvassed it. The NSF only promotes junior and intermediate athletes but you can't use these athletes to represent the country alone in major championships."
One would expect the oil-rich state to give hosting the festival a thought, having not previously done so. But Amaju dismisses it with a wave of the hand.
"Don't ask me, Delta is not hosting the festival," he said with an uncompromising look on his face.
"About N5b spent on festivals will build quality schools, hospitals and infrastructure. The federal government should help because a time will come when states will be running away from hosting the NSF because of its huge costs.
"After the next edition in Cross River, the next 10 editions should be held in Abuja so that facilities there can be utilised. Facilities at the National Stdium, Abuja, were about the best when it hosted the 2003 All Africa Games but what do we have now? Look at the National Stdium in Lagos too.
"It is every footballer in England's dream to play in Wembley, so every young Nigerian athlete should also be dreaming of competing inside the Abuja stadium."
