The Ebonyi State Government has voiced its dissatisfaction following the underwhelming performance of the state’s athletes at the 22nd National Sports Festival, recently held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Despite high hopes, Ebonyi ranked 28th on the final medals table, securing just one gold medal in cricket and two bronze medals—one in cricket and another in kickboxing.
During a review session in Abakaliki, the Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Richard Idike, addressed the team’s coaches, expressing disappointment over the outcome.
“The performance at the festival was far below our expectations. We must urgently identify what went wrong and implement necessary reforms to prevent a repeat,” Idike said.
He assured the coaches that their feedback would be submitted to relevant authorities as part of the state’s commitment to revitalizing the sports sector. According to him, strategic reforms are underway to reposition Ebonyi as a competitive sports state in Nigeria.
“Ebonyi has immense sporting potential. However, without grassroots development, early training, and athlete incentives, we can’t achieve our goals,” he added.
Martin Mkpuma, the football coach, attributed the team’s poor performance to congested match fixtures, which he said left players physically exhausted.
“The scheduling was tight with little time for recovery between games. Despite this, one of our players has been invited to the national U-17 football team,” Mkpuma revealed.
In the same vein, Kingsley Achu, the basketball coach, pointed to logistical setbacks, especially inadequate transportation, as a major obstacle.
“We urge the state government to invest in modern training facilities and equipment. That would significantly improve athlete motivation and performance,” Achu stated.
He also disclosed that two basketball players from the team received invitations to the national junior basketball camp.
The coaches jointly appealed for the domestication of coaching recruitment, suggesting that local professionals under the state employment scheme should be prioritized. They also raised concerns over athlete poaching, revealing that over 70% of Ebonyi-born athletes compete for other states due to better incentives.
The meeting concluded with a united resolve among coaches to rebuild Ebonyi’s sports reputation through collaboration, advocacy, and performance-driven strategies.
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