By Eddie Akalonu

Olympian Jerry Okorodudu has urged both the Nigeria Amateur Boxing Association, NABA and the National Sports Commission, NSC to focus on developing youth teams for all international games starting with the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Speaking to Saturday Vanguard Sports in Lagos, Okorodudu, a member of Nigeria’s famed boxing team to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and a bronze medalist at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada, said that the only way the nation can make an impact at the London 2012 Olympics, the 2011 All Africa Games in Mozambique and  the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland is by setting in motion, programmes and activities to attract more youths to take up sports in all it’s ramifications.

He said that enthusiasm for sports is high in schools all over the country and as a result sports associations must focus on junior sports development and “if this is done, it’s a matter of three to four years, we will bounce back in most of the sports we excelled in before now. It will help a lot in building for most of the coming big Games.”

Okorodudu thinks Nigeria has a lot to gain if there was massive investment in building young teams in boxing, athletics, rugby, the ball games and others which enjoy popular youth participation and interest. “In those days when we competed, we had two standing national boxing teams, one senior and one junior which made it easier for participation in international sports. Moreover, we were outside the country in those days competing from one tournament to another especially within the Soviet Union.

We were hardly at home except for very necessary national events. In fact, it was such that we went to all those international games direct from competitions abroad without having to come home to Nigeria.

We used to have a programme for female boxing which is popular in the National Sports Festival, because there are very strong girls interested in boxing and willing to make it a profession only if there is benefit to be derived from it. We can restore such in no time if due attention is given to its development.

It is never late for associations, in conjunction with the NSC to begin an accelerated development programmes with focus on junior teams,” he stated.

The one time national team coach added that “ in the past, the National Sports Festival focussed on youth development. I think it should return to the old format because it would help raise the interest of young boys and girls dominating national teams in no time.”