Emedolu wants ongoing reform in football extended to other sports

Nigeria's Athens 2004 Olympics medallist, Uchenna Emedolu, has appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) to extend the ongoing reforms in the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to other sports.

"I will like to see the reforms going on in the NFF extended to other sports because the decay is not restricted to football," Emedolu said on Wednesday in Enugu.

Emedolu was among the quartet of Deji Aliu, Aaron Egbele and Olusoji Fasuba that won the bronze medal in 4X400 relay for men in 38.23 secs in Greece.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria that there were many who hindered the growth of sports because they benefited from it.

"There are so many wicked elements in other sports who do not want progress. They are always happy when there is failure because they profit from such a situation.

"They go only after money and dump sportsmen and women when they ought to rally support for them.

"Many of them, who accompany teams outside the country, abandon them and go for shopping. Something has to be done to get rid of such people.

"Now that the Commonwealth Games are coming, they will do nothing to help the growth of sports but will be quick to get to India for shopping," he said.

Emedolu then suggested that the time to identify the medal potentialities and give them training grants to enable them to perform is now.

"If we really want medals, now is the time to invest in the likes of Obinna Metu so that they can avail themselves of good training ahead of the New Delhi Games," he said.

"Many of the athletes need such facilities now so that they can settle down to serious training," Emedolu added.