As Sports stakeholders countdown to the elections into the various National Sports Federations holding in September, participants in a discussion on an influential platform, Nigeria Sports Center, has thrown their weight behind the return of the Interim Caretaker Chairman of Nigeria Basketball Federation, Ahmadu Musa Kida, as the substantive president of the federation.
The discussion started with a post from one Wonderland Events on the “Best candidates for next month Federation election based on their recent performance”
He said the federations need President who can take them to the zenith in their various events, and presented the following choices for the Stakeholders among whom are: Squash (Mr. Boye Oyerinde), Volleyball ( Eng.musa Nimrod), Basketball (Eng Musa Kida), Badminton (Francis Orbih Esq), Wrestling ( Mr Daniel Igali), Scrabble (Mr. Sulaiman Garba), Handball (Mr. Samuel Ochie).
He stressed that the federations need President who can keep the athletes busy with competitions and ensure that the country qualifies for the Commonwealth Games, All African Games and Olympics.
“We need referees and coaching clinic too to upgrade knowledge of the technical officials,” he said.
He concluded that these will save the country’s sports from going into extinction.
However, one Joseph Onekwu expressed curiosity on what Engr Musa Kida has done in Basketball to make him best candidate for the presidency?
This however, elicited responses from participants who went ahead to outline the various achievements of Engineer Musa Ahmed Kida at the Basketball Federation that makes him the best to occupy the position.
According to the platform, “Under Kida’s leadership, Nigeria qualified for the Olympics in male and female category. The first country to achieve this in Africa. Under Kida, Total Energy bought into division 1 and division 2 of our basketball league. This is a lower Division and not even the premier league. These are unprecedented success”
Continuing, he said, “the Division one league is different from the premier league. You are aware that the premier league was put on hold by a court judgement and luckily the court has reversed the decision. Right now, effort is on to start the league.
“It is players from the league that can play for the senior national team, which can only be determined by the national team handlers. Remember that even in football, Rohr has always used foreign based players. Once the league start, it is the coach’s decision to now select players.
“I am a great supporter of excellent, exemplary and selfless leadership in whatever sphere.
“Remember, the long battle he fought and eventually won in the law courts to regain the basketball league and bring back sanity to the game”.
They concluded that Kida is a man who does not wait for government to release funds for him to set the ball rolling.
