Athletics coach Tobias Igwe has advised the Athletic Federation of Nigeria to keep former international Innocent Egbunike as the national team coach ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.
Egbunike was on contract with the National Sports Commission to lead Nigeria to the Beijing 2008 Olympics where the team won two bronze medals – women’s long jump and 4x100m relay. But the current status of the US-based coach with the AFN is unclear with a few months to the games.
Toblow, as Igwe is fondly called, said it would be wise of the AFN to confirm the 1984 Olympic bronze medallist as the coach so as to allow him start early preparation for the London games.
He said, “If we must get it right, we must start preparation early for the Olympics. Olympic games are not inter-house sports, as someone earlier pointed out. So I’ll advise the AFN to empower Egbunike as the coach and let him start the job early.
“I’ll not want anyone to experience a similar thing I went through when I coached the team in Oghara under difficult conditions. The rainy weather and the poor facilities at the venue gave us huge challenge then. I hope the AFN will not treat Egbunike like that.”
Toblow added that the AFN should endeavour to bring emerging talents into the national team, saying he had discovered young athletes that are capable of replacing the ageing ones.
“Some of these young athletes have recorded incredible time in their events. What they lack is regular competitions and experience. It is best for us to integrate them into the national team,” Toblow said.
Read More:
Toblow backs Egbunike on AFN job