Pulse Opinion: Oduduru might dump Nigeria before Tokyo 2020 and no one would blame him

Divine Oduduru was pulling no punches when he spoke about the treatment Nigerian athletes got at the recently concluded 2018 African Senior Athletics Championship in Asaba.

After winning a silver medal, Oduduru and other top Nigerian athletes had to reject N150, 000 from the Federal Government after the championships.

“You don’t treat athletes this way and expect them to honour your invitation next time,” Oduduru told Guardian.

“The Asaba 2018 Championship was an international event and we were supposed to be treated that way.”

To buttress his frustration, the 21-year-old revealed that his dad died during the championships, and yet he can't afford to fund the funeral.

 

"My father died while I was competing at Asaba 2018, and as an athlete running for Nigeria, members of my family are expecting me to assist them financially in the burial plans,” Oduduru also said.

“But I can’t do so because we were given just N107,000 as allowances for the duration of the championship.

“My father will be buried on October 12 in Ughelli, and as we speak, I don’t have anything to contribute towards the funeral. My dad was a titled man, and his burial will involve a lot of money. I am really sad at the moment.”

Oduduru is not alone in this.

From boxing to athletics and several other sports,  Nigerian athletes have over the years been maltreated by the country they oftentimes sacrifice everything for.

 

And that is why a top athlete like Oduduru will end up dumping Nigeria for another country and who would blame him?

N150, 000 for a top athlete like Oduduru for an athlete is simply shameful. A country where cases of corrupt politicians swindling money is a dime a dozen, making only N150, 000 available for an athlete like Oduduru shows where our priorities lie in our country.

Hence, Oduduru deserves a country with better priorities than ours, where athletes will be treated better.

He currently resides in America where he has been a hit for the Texas Tech where he shamed a 20-year school record and won the 200m at the National Collegiate of Athletics Association (NCAA) championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Next year will be his third at the school and if he continues to impress like that in America, the US or another country will try and come for him and if he accepts, no one would blame him.