*Wants personnel rather than facilities developed
*Gives NOC kudos

By KATE OBODO

Former President of the Nigeria Cycling Federation and Secretary General of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Moses Iloh does not care whose ox is gored when he decides to talk about Nigerian sports especially cycling. He recalls how cycling was managed when he was the Federation President and how his board got support from government, both at the state and Federal levels. He also talks about private sponsorship which, according to him, exposed the game as compared to what obtains now.
In this Interview with Sunday Vanguard Sports in his office in Lagos, he speaks on the problems inhibiting the growth of sports of late and offers suggestions to the new Minister of Sports and chairman, National Sports Commission, NSC, Alhaji Yusuf Sulieman, on how he can revive cycling and other sports in the country. Excerpts:

What would you say is responsible for the sharp decline in Nigerian  sports of late?

The people in leadership are greedy and selfish. And you know selfishness is a curse and a bad thing.

Look at France with a wonderful football team but their main sport is cycling, same with Italy, Belgium and other countries in the world. All I am saying is that, all these countries focus on the development of their youth, so they give every sport equal and adequate attention, allowing organisers to do their jobs without limitations. Swimming in other parts of the world is a very big business but here, nothing is going on.

You made some progress when you headed the cycling federation. Why is the sport so backward in the scheme of things of late?

Basically, there are two things confronting the game today. One, the people in authority are mischievous, they are not supporting cycling as they should. Secondly, there is no money to steal in cycling. Back then, we were very committed to the sport with all that we had. We always wanted to put our resources into it, to make it thrive. Nowadays, no Nigerian is ready to venture into a place where there is no ‘chop’, this is the major problem facing the sport today.

How best can cycling be revived by the Government?

If organised properly, the future will be great but the only way is for the cycling federation to up their organisational level in the federation. Government should make, not only cycling, but other sports attractive for the youth in the country by so doing, they are alleviating poverty and joblessness.

Do you know what I tell the youth that money is? I tell them that, it is talent and time minted. Time and talent is free, so we should help to make it possible for boys and girls to come into cycling and be  millionaires. We should make all sports attractive for them not only football.

Every sport brings money if only we can be sincere to manage it. Federal government should have a sporting facility in every local government, the same applicable to states, so youths can be able to choose the sport they want to participate in.

Also, the Federal Government should change the name of the sports commission to sports authority as there job should be to present sports facilities that are in workable condition. Then the youths can go there, pay little money to a coach to train them into what I know will surprise all of us at the end, but nobody will listen to this, because there is no money to embezzle there.

So, what is your take on the new minister, and what do you think he can do to curb these problems and revive other sports particularly cycling?

I want to urge him to convene a conference of chairmen, vice chairmen and secretaries of all the different sports federations in which he would be able to ask them to submit their proposals for the revamping and the development of their sports. With this, every federation chairman will wake up. This will serve as his first challenge to revive sports and those leading it within the country.

Rev Iloh

After submission of their reports, each chairman should defend his report with the watchful eyes of the Director General and all the technicians in the sports ministry to either correct or help to adjust it to what it should be. Then, the Minister should take the proposal to the Federal Government which is now obliged to invest in sports, not in name of sport but in the name of the youth. This is why I have been pleading passionately, that our philosophy should not be sports development but youth development through sports.

At this stage of Government’s clear idea on what is obtainable, the Olympic committee on their part will now give advice to help in the realisation of these ideas because every federation is a member of the Olympic committee. For now, the Olympic Committee is doing well, I have been reading their work and I hope they maintain it.

So, with this kind of critical planning and assistance, cycling and other sports, on their own will grow and I will be very willing to give advice where necessary, absolutely free.

I do not want to hold any position again. I want to be able to link them up with all my contact in the sports.

As a former President of the cycling federation, how would you describe cycling in Nigeria today?
Well, when I was the President of the federation, cycling was a recognised sport in Nigeria, to the point that we had a position in the Africa Confederation and in the World body too. Cyclists then were traveling long distances to participate in International competitions. This was because almost every state had an active Cycling Association. It was an enviable sport which Governments then in each state supported very well.

Right now, I am disturbed, because nothing seems to be going well with the sport as its growth is very slow. Instead of states’ participation  increasing, it is reducing, this is disturbing. I think the Nigeria Olympic Committee and the National Sports  Commission should allow for leaders who are knowledgeable and passionate about the game to come in and revive the sport. It is not only cycling that needs revival but Table Tennis, Swimming, Boxing, Judo and Basketball. All these sports have lost their zest.

Were there any forms of sponsorship for the sport in your regime?
Of course yes. When I was the president, cycling was a powerful sport. We had sponsors that gave us their total support. For instance, Nigerian Breweries then, were our partners with the Maltina brand. We also had support from Michelin tires and wheels, even from Insurance companies both at the national and federal level. In fact, we had support from everywhere. It was a big support we had then.

In the ’80s and ’90s, our strength was integrity. We got sponsorship because we wanted wide publicity, then we were accountable for any money we got. It is a pity that cycling is dying now. It must not die now because the world is a global village and communication reigns which definitely helps sporting activity. Cycling deals with communication because it is a moving sport which has one of the best facilities for publicity and advert. I want to believe that this is the time in which communication giants in the country have to support the sport.

Look at Lagos for example, there are beautiful roads now to organize a competition every week. You can also have sponsors for these competitions weekly. The cycling federation should be able to get many sponsors for the game.

How competitive was the sport then?
Yes, we had so many champions then, for instance Paul Buba was our champion, so many of them that I can’t remember now. We had an open championship in which our champions were respected, we were taking teams outside the shores of the country for tournaments and they were all coming back with results. Then we used to organise competitions to up the sport and performance of the athletes ahead of any competition. Sometimes it could be monthly or yearly.

There was one competition I donated trophies for the male and female, it was organized every year and we had champions that went home with money. They got recognition, respect and other packages. I do not know what is happening these days, we do not hear about any champions for cycling again.

Do you think sponsors can still invest in the sport?

Cycling is beneficial and the best deal for advert and business but the federation must sell it properly to the sponsors. They should propose partnership with them, making them know that they are not going to steal their money by working in line with their (sponsor) progress.

We had the best female cyclist in Africa here in Nigeria, yet, we are not encouraging them because our sports commission is mischievous. I don’t know if they are aware of the medal haul cycling can give us in the Olympics or All Africa Games. We can win over 20 medals in cycling.

As the All Africa Games draws near, what do you make of the sport at the Games?

It is so sad that things are happening this way especially to a sport that would have been useful to this great country just as it is in other parts of the World. If the cycling federation can organise themselves properly with good sponsorship, they will do better in the competition. I think the main thing is in the hands of the federation, the door is open and the facilities are available for them, so they should get things organised.