Africa should transform sports

Lazarus Sauti

The transformation of sports in countries within and across the African continent is one area where governments have done very little.

For instance, there are many sporting codes which are not truly represented in the many –if not all – countries within the great continent.

Accordingly, ministries responsible for sports and organisations alike should work hard to increase participation by all Africans in all sporting codes.

These stakeholders should also work flat out to pursue the transformation in sports.

This is so because it is the task of governments to ensure that their respective countries move forward when it comes to the revolution of sports.

Sentletse Diakanyo, blogger believes that the time is now for African governments to do an assessment of how they can effectively change the face sports in the continent.

Diakanyo says: “It is time that those in government do a self-assessment of how well they are meeting government objectives on transformation of sports and of their own effectiveness in assisting the various sports federations in achieving these objectives; instead of shouting from the sidelines.

“Funding by government of development programmes run by sports federations is not enough; government itself should assume responsibility for this mammoth task and stop shifting blame.”

They should help in the spreading of all sporting codes.

To effectively transform sports in the continent, governments’ interventions at grassroots levels is required to popularise sporting codes such as cricket, basketball, swimming and golf to remote areas.

Sadly, players that currently dominate elite sporting codes in most African countries are products of prestigious private schools and sports academies where these sports are catered for.

Orphans and disadvantaged children from destitute backgrounds suffer as a result. This should be also an area of concern for political leaders and stakeholders in the sporting fraternity.

Most public schools in rural areas and townships have football pitches only – no rugby fields or cricket pitches. This makes the state of public schools not favourable to the growth of talent.

“The state of public schools is not favourable for any development of talent in any sport, including soccer,” notes Diakanyo.

Diakanyo adds, “They do not have specialist coaches who are capable of coaching students who want to develop their skills in different sports.”

The ministries of education in African countries should therefore ensure that sport is integrated in the educational curriculum.

More so, Africa’s heads of state and government should consider sports as an avenue to create employment; they should support it since lack of governments support is plunging sports further down the pecking order.

This means that African governments should have budget for sport. The budget should cater for infrastructure development, coaching clinics and talent identification programmes.

For sports to flourish, business leaders in African communities should play an important role in helping teachers and aspiring coached. They should send these people to coaching workshops, clinics and refresher course.

African teams have the capacity to compete with the best in the world only if African governments realise that the current situation needs to be revamped and that soccer is not the only sport in the world.