Ajunwa, Okorodudu want sports festival thrown openAS sports-loving Nigerians continue to express mixed feelings over athletes' preparation for this year's Olympics, the President of African Business Roundtable, Bamanga Tukur, has pointed out that a more realistic approach by Nigerian athletes, their officials and the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) could see the country spring surprises at the Games.Tukur's words of wisdom came yesterday, just as Atlanta '96 Olympics gold medallist, Chioma Ajunwa, and Los Angeles '84 Olympics boxer, Jeremiah Okorodudu, urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to throw this year's edition of the National Sports Festival - the Eko 2012 - open to all athletes so as to bring back the lost glamour.Tukur, who delivered a keynote address as chairman of the Town Hall Meeting on the London 2012 Olympic Games yesterday in Lagos, said that as president of the African Business Roundtable and Chairman, NEPAD Business Group, he always held the view that sports, trade and tourism were key multi-billion naira industries that could take Africa to the next level of development.He added that Nigeria could be among the top 20 economies of the world by blending sports, trade and tourism. According to him, 'as Nigeria prepares for the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics, the Olympics committee needs to do more and propagate the ideals of the Olympics and promote the objectives of its charter in every part of Nigeria.'Also speaking at the forum, which was convened by the National League of Veteran Journalists, the duo of Ajunwa and Okorodudu said there was urgent need to reverse the current state of the National Sports Festival by throwing it open to all interested athletes so as to bring back the glamour and followership the fiesta had in the good old days.'What is the essence of calling it a National Sports Festival when all athletes are not allowed to participate in the game'' Ajunwa asked.''By keeping the festival closed, the NSC is indirectly telling the various sports councils to sack all athletes who had participated in just three festivals. It is a wrong idea and the earlier we go back to the old practice, the better for our sports.'Other discussants at the forum included sports analyst, Mitchel Obi, and sports critic, Shuaib Gara-Gombe.
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