‘We are working on improved pay for Super Falcons’

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has initiated moves to engage Cuban coaches to “strengthen” the technical department of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) ahead of the 2027 World Championships in China, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

The AFN technical department was said to have come under serious scrutiny by the NSC at the just-concluded World Athletics Ultimate Challenge in Budapest, Hungary.

A source told The Guardian, yesterday, that angry NSC officials openly lamented the “poor technical input” by AFN coaches, particularly their alleged failure to nurture athletes to break some existing records, including Yusuf Alli’s long jump record of 8.27m, which he set in 1989 in Lagos.

According to the source, the NSC has focused its searchlight on three Cuban coaches.

“The NSC wants to bring in three Cuban coaches as quickly as possible to strengthen the AFN Technical department,” the source said, adding that the commission is “unhappy with AFN coaches for not grooming enough home-based athletes in events like hurdles and long jump. Cubans are very good in those areas, and the NSC is moving fast to get at least three of them to start work immediately.

I am sure those AFN coaches will not like the arrangement, but the NSC want to re-energise the AFN technical department for a better result,” the source added.

The Cuban coaches, the source said, will be based in Nigeria to groom home-based athletes.

Meanwhile, NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, has outlined the Federal Government’s approach to sports development, stressing a focus on taking sports infrastructure closer to communities, while strengthening support for Nigeria’s women in sports, including athletes and other stakeholders.

In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kola Daniel, yesterday, Olopade explained that the ongoing focus on sports infrastructure is not limited to major stadiums, but also includes neighbourhood facilities and support for state governments that are undertaking the construction and rehabilitation of sporting infrastructure across the country.

“We are building neighbourhood facilities and supporting state governments all across the country that are building and revamping sports infrastructure. We must create opportunities for communities to have access to these facilities,” Olopade said.

He added that access to sporting facilities at the community level remains essential to developing athletes and expanding participation in sports, particularly as the country seeks to build a stronger and more sustainable sports ecosystem.

Olopade also spoke on the administration’s commitment to inclusivity and improved support for Nigerian women in sports, pointing to developments across several women’s national teams and sporting federations.

“We have plans in place for improved pay for the Super Falcons which will be announced soon,” he said.