The National Sports Commission (NSC) of Nigeria is planning to strengthen the technical side of the country's athletics by hiring Cuban coaches, a move that has sparked mixed reactions from Nigerian track and field coaches. According to a top NSC official, the commission is not satisfied with the "noticeable technical lapses" in Nigeria's track and field and wants to improve the Athletics Federation of Nigeria's (AFN) technical department. This decision was made known to AFN officials during the recently concluded World Athletics Challenge in Budapest, Hungary.
The NSC's plan aims to improve Nigeria's athletics, particularly in the jump and hurdles, ahead of the 2027 World Championships in Beijing, China, and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, USA. However, some indigenous track and field coaches have expressed concerns that bringing in foreign coaches would relegate them to the background and negatively impact their careers. They have appealed to the NSC to arrange coaching courses and provide motivation, arguing that without their input, it would be difficult for foreign coaches to solve the problems facing Nigeria's track and field development.
Olalekan Adebote, President of the Athletics Coaches Association of Nigeria, observed that there is nothing wrong with getting help from abroad to reposition Nigerian track and field. He welcomed the idea of hiring Cuban coaches, saying that Nigerian coaches must not be neglected in the process. Adebote suggested that instead of bringing in coaches to train athletes directly, the NSC should engage Cuban or other experts who are World Athletics lecturers to run Level 2 and Level 3 courses for Nigerian coaches.
Adebote added that Nigerian coaches deserve recognition for their talent discovery abilities and should be taken into consideration in the NSC's plans. He proposed that one course could reach dozens of coaches, and the knowledge would stay in Nigeria long after the lecturers have gone home. This approach would ensure that the benefits of the Cuban coaches' expertise are sustained in the long term.
Yusuf Alli, chairman of the NSC Elite Athletes and Podium Performance Board, assured Nigerian coaches that the NSC is not planning to neglect them. He stated that there is a huge technical void in Nigerian track and field that must be closed, and the NSC is determined to produce results. Alli revealed that the NSC is looking far and wide to solve the technical problem, including contacting Nigerian-born coaches doing well in the diaspora.
Alli cited the success of Cuban coaches in the past, such as George Diaz and Jose Salazar, who worked with the AFN in 1996 and helped athletes like Chioma Ajunwa win gold at Atlanta 1996. He emphasized that the NSC is trying to close a yawning technical gap in Nigerian track and field and is willing to explore all options to achieve this goal.
The NSC's plan to hire Cuban coaches has sparked a debate about the role of foreign expertise in Nigerian athletics. While some coaches see the benefits of international collaboration, others are concerned about the impact on local coaches' careers. The NSC's decision will likely have significant implications for the development of track and field in Nigeria.
Key points
- The NSC plans to hire Cuban coaches to improve Nigeria's athletics.
- Nigerian coaches have expressed concerns that foreign coaches could relegate them to the background.
- The NSC has assured local coaches that it is not planning to neglect them and has good incentives lined up.
