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After the dismal outing of Team Nigeria at the just concluded Tokyo Olympics, the bulk of golf icons in the county all came into agreement that the time was now right for the nation to reposition its sports priorities.
One of the Icons, Colonel Ibrahim Biu, who was two-time Captain of the prestigious Kaduna Golf Club, said the nation was never having any back door when making sporting deals by devoting most of its resources to football and athletics while the game of golf, which could fetch over ten gold medals in Olympics was left in unattended to.
“They say golf has its own federation but I can’t see it,” said Biu, adding “As at the last time I had a look at that body called Nigeria Golf Federation, I noticed clearly that it was the Federation’s former President and presently Caretaker Committee Chairman, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola that has been spending his personal money to keep the federation’s secretariat running.
“And we are now talking about golf that has an overflow of talented youths in every corridor of the nation, you will not even believe that the government is not doing anything to harness the talents of these youths. I equally learned that on two occasions the youths were sponsored to international meets so that their talents could be harnessed, it was this same Prince Oyinlola who paid from his pocket to ensure the nation participated in that meet. Now, tell me how do you grow the game in this harsh manner.
“What I cannot even understand is that rather than this government give to golf which is the next big thing in the world, funds are mostly devoted to football and athletics. And mark you; even football did not make it to the Olympics despite the huge funds spent on it.”
‘’I think we must get our priorities right,’’ Biu continued, ‘’ Sports like swimming and golf that command a basket of medals in the Olympics should be attended to without any delay. A situation where golf which is being played by over three million Nigerians is completely ignored is unacceptable.’
