Gebrselassie To The Rescue

Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopia’s long-distance and marathon running legend is the head of the nation’ s athletics federation, a move that Africa’s former sports persons should emulate to save sports from the ill-management that describes sports federations in most African countries.

Gebrselassie will serve four years at the helm of Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) following his election on Sunday, with an overwhelming nine out of 15 votes, The National reported.

Prior to the Olympics Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August, the track legend criticized EAF’ s handling of the selection criteria of the team to the games, urging them to resign in the face of doping allegations that hit about five athletes.

In neighboring Kenya, another middle and long distance running giant, despite its Rio exploits, the athletes attended trials in a venue against their wish, some had their Nike kits missing and had to put up with poor accommodation in the course of the games, Daily Nation reported.

The sport is also reeling from a doping crisis that is threatening the hard-earned reputation Kenyan athletes have gained over the years.

In Nigeria, the national Under-23 football team landed in Brazil hours before its opening match against Japan after haphazard travel arrangements saw the team stranded in the US.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) ordered athletes to make travel arrangements to the games, claiming it did not have funds to arrange for their travel, Newsweek reported.

The competition kit for the Nigeria team also arrived barely days to the end of the games in Rio. 

Most of them used kits from past competitions while the football team had its own-sponsored kit.

The above incidents are the norm in most of the sports federations across the continent, where all manner of ills have been disguised as leadership.

Most of the leaders, who have been at the helm for years did not represent their nations in continental or global competitions. They never experienced the pains that face African sports persons face whenever they fly their nations’ flags high.

The federations serve personal and parochial interests at the behest of a few, forgetting the millions of sports talents who never realize their potential due to mismanagement.

Retired athletes like Gebrselassie, Geremi Njitap in Cameroon and Kalusha Bwalya in Zambia have taken up the leadership mantle.

They have been through the African pain in sports and are the realistic chance through which most of the sports federations across the continent will breathe fresh air!

The malaise with the athletics federation in Nigeria and Football Kenya Federation (FKF), largely blamed on officials seeking parochial self-interests at the expense of sporting talent, is a reflection of a disease running deep in several federations across the continent.

It must come to an end and the bold steps by Gebrselassie and Bwalya are in the right direction. 

Retired sportsmen and women in other African countries should embrace the challenge and help current generations avoid the hell they went through in their careers!