ACTUALITE |
12.05.2003
Sports infrastructure: Nemesis of a sporting giant
By Ntiamba Obi Ntui in Yaounde
Through dint of hard work and sheer ingenuity, Cameroonians of both sexes have continued to win exploits in varied sporting disciplines.
Over the years, these exploits have continued to make Cameroon tower not only as a sporting nation but as a civilised one in the world.
Indeed, sports has been one of those sectors which Cameroon uses to hide its nakedness. It is sports that makes Cameroon matter in the international community in spite of the emptiness and nothingness that surrounds it.
Indeed, someone who comes from the developed world and sees our muddy, sandy, stony and rugged football pitches would wonder how great footballers like Milla Roger, Nkono Thomas, Rigobert Song, Eto Fils and many others managed to emerge from such backyards to become shining stars.
Others like Francoise Mbango, Mani Leonie and Cameroon’s other female flagbearers in sports in the world today got where they are through the benevolence of foreigners. Whether it is athletics, football or any other sporting discipline, Cameroon has no facilities to show.
Like in many other areas of national life, Cameroon exhibits the same nonchalant attitude towards the development of sports infrastructure.
Over the years, we have not been able to come up with an elaborate long-term plan for the development of sporting infrastructure in spite of the enormous financial and other benefits we have been reaping from sporting activities the obvious enthusiasm and flare Cameroonians both young and old have continued to show as ardent lovers of sports.
Indeed, our sporting prowess is such that as of now every province, division and subdivision should have had an elaborate development plan for sports infrastructure.
But our culture of consuming without thinking of the rainy day has left us where we are today. Cameroon needs to cultivate a culture of prudent management of resources and investment so that available resources would give rise to more resources tomorrow ,failing which the current impasse of lack of infrastructure would continue to haunt us.
The recent setbacks by Cameroonian football teams and athletes in international competitions, observers say, is retribution for government failure to develop sports infrastructure.
Cameroon needs a leadership that is disciplined, visionary and foresighted. It is the lack of this that is the root cause of the glaring dichotomy we exhibit in terms of our abundance of natural and human resources in the face of abject lack of basic infrastructure.
Indeed, while there is a gnawing need to develop sports infrastructure in the country, the same could be said of other sectors, like roads, agriculture, industry and others.
Wisdom teachers tell us that luck or divine favour cannot be mismanaged for ever, so Cameroon needs to wake up now before all our advantages slip off our hands. By then it would obviously be too late to try.
|
|
Hits: 1 | Source:The Herald | |
|
|
|
|
| |