Former Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung says the the state of Nigerian sports has deteriorated significantly since his exit from office in 2019, with no hope of recovery.
Dalung told VDCInsights.com that when he left office in 2019, Nigeria was at its sporting peak- a continental and global force across several sporting disciplines, but however,noted ‘the nation has lost its place, and there is little hope of reclaiming former glory under the current structure.’
‘When I handed over in 2019, Nigeria was the African champion in ten different sports, holding several unbeaten world records. For example, Nigeria consistently maintained the World Championship title in Scrabble under my administration. Women’s football, which was already established, continued to thrive and sustain its dominance while I was in office.’
‘Beyond that, I added nine additional sports to Nigeria’s competitive profile, including cricket. Previously non-existent in terms of global recognition, Nigerian cricket rose to African champion status and even went on to play at the World Cup.’
Dalung further said ‘The D’Tigress, women’s basketball team, under my watch, made history at the World Cup in Spain, becoming the first African team to qualify for the quarterfinals in 100 years. They rose in the global ranking from 32nd to 8th after defeating Greece, Turkey, and Argentina. Unfortunately, despite qualifying for the next World Cup before I left, they were banned due to administrative failures.’
The former decried the events leading to D’Tigress missing out of the world cup.’After their record-breaking performance in Spain, I secured a ₦1 billion presidential approval to reward and compensate them. However, the funds were not released before I left office. When they were eventually disbursed in August 2019, the players went unpaid for more than two years. Their subsequent complaints led to Nigeria being banned, and the qualification slot was reassigned to Senegal.’
He pointed out ‘Despite this setback, the D’Tigress team remained resilient. They went on to win the African championship again, and the current administration has attempted to compensate them, though not all original beneficiaries have received their due. Regardless, the recognition is deserved. These women raised Nigerian basketball to world standard, yet were humiliated and mistreated by their own nation.’
