Renowned athletics coach, Tobias Igwe has sent out a passionate appeal to Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu to revive sports in the state, as he says it has lost its glory days of yore.
Sports247.ng can report that ‘Toblow’ is basing his assessment on the recent National Sports Festival in Abuja, where he said God’s Own State had nothing remarkable to show.
Igwe also spoke in general terms, as he reckoned that performances by athletes from all the eastern states was nothing to write home about in all the track and field events at Abuja 2018.
He then called on governments of the states to show more interest in the sport, as the region is known to produce top quality athletes.
However, the veteran tactician also traced the decline in athletics talents from the eastern states to the fact that coaches who produced talents in the past have been neglected and discouraged.
Toblow fired: “Imagine a state like Abia that won about eight medals at the sports festival in the past cannot even boast of one in Abuja.
“Abia and other States are known for producing top quality athletes for Nigeria.
“I am calling on the state governors to begin to look inwards and contract coaches who could revive athletics
“I have nothing now to start scouting athletes and coaching them. I have been dismissed from service because I wasn’t from Abia State.
“If I’m comfortable, I will be working with athletes, but now I’m slowly dying, while my colleagues in other countries are producing world class athletes.
“I’m begging the present Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu to reinstate me.
“(He can also) give me a contract so that I can at least return to the field to coach young athletes, I still have a lot to offer.”
