Former African best
winger, Baba Otu Mohammed has cried out that athletes that sacrificed their
active years serving Nigeria are been left to die
in regrets.
He lamented that, Nigeria has
failed to create the culture of giving honour to their sports
heroes, who had brought national pride to the nation in their sports hey
days.
Baba Otu in a telephone chat
with our correspondent said that giving honour to sports heroes is
fundamental to national sports development and patriotism.
In his words “if we celebrate our national sports heroes , you will not have reasons to beg the young players or athletes to pay more attention to patriotism against money , as is currently the case or not to abandon Nigeria for another country, as is been currently seen from time to time, as against the past, when national pride supersedes anything else.
“these young players and athletes see how we are treat as
national heroes, that is why, they will always take their minds to how
they can avoid same treatment, they will not listen to any preaching
about patriotism, because they know and believe that when they don’t have
the strength anymore nobody will care for them.
“today in Jamaica every
child harbor the dream to become a sports heroes, because your portrait
will be at the museum and other national platforms or places of national
pride, their sports veterans enjoy same honour like their former national
leaders, such as former presidents , so every child and athletes has the dream
to become sports hero one day, in Nigeria today their only dream is
to become rich through sports. Who caused it?.”
“if the dream of our children is to become just rich through sports, then we have a big problem in our hands.
“our best will not give their best, even when they are dressed
in the green white green national colours, because it will not mean much to
them, our best will continue to leave Nigeria for other countries, where they
think they will be better appreciated in their old age.
Baba Otu thanked, ex
international, Segun Odegbami for his tireless efforts towards the cause of
veteran athletes in Nigeria.
“we can not stop thanking
Segun Odegbami, he is always at the fore pushing for our cause, he speaks out,
he writes and use his resources to bring smile to the faces of his tired
colleagues.
“ it is not always about
money, but there are so many ways to honour our veterans for
their patriotism, again thanks to Segun, last time he and prince Allen
Onyema of Air Peace honoured myself , the likes of Charles, Christian Chukwu,
Okala, Sani Mohammed, including late Erico, Jide, illerika Atuegbu .
“Air Peace through Prince
Onyema and Segun, we were given award of excellence, it came with offers like,
we can fly international once a year and we can fly local even 10 times a day
without a penny.”
“what Air Peace did for us
gladden our hearts, for once, many of us veterans travelled from far and
wide to converge in Lagos, we now had reasons to see each other again,
because many of us have not met for over 40 years, we were reunited, we also
felt honoured , we were injected with heroic feelings, we were given souvenirs
, the memory will linger in our hearts till we depart this world, our children,
wife and grandchildren felt honoured too, we are grateful for this recognition
by Air Peace.”
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