Former African best right winger, Baba Otu says Nigerian sports veterans are dying in regrets , applauds Odegbami, Onyema, Air Peace
By Abdulgafar Oladimeji
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 supercedes 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 grand children felt honoured too, we are grateful for this recognition by Air Peace.”
