Gadzama Apologises To Athletes, Promises New, Responsible AFN

The first vice-president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has apologised to the athletes over the non-fulfilment of promises made to them in June 2023 following the signing of the Premium Trust Bank Sponsorship agreement with the AFN.

The African and Olympic Games gold medalist in a chat with the news during  the weekend, said athletes deserve much more than they have received from the federation.

Gadzama had expressed his delight at the agreement and said it signalled the beginning of better days for the athletes.

‘Gone are the days when athletes are paid N40,000 as top prize money. If our road runners can be earning N1 million and N500,000, why can’t those running on the track earn as much as N200,000 for coming first in each leg of the Golden League and N500,000 in the final,’ Gadzama said after the signing of the agreement in June 2023.

The former Nigerian international says he built his optimism at the time on a particular article in the contract agreement which deals with athletes welfare.

“One of the aims and objectives of the agreement was welfare of athletes and it was clearly stated that the broker will ‘serve as medium towards fulfilling the aforesaid aims and objectives particularly the welfare of the athletes.

‘I was not happy with the N40,000 top prize money the athletes got in the Golden League events as well as the almost inhabitable accommodations provided but thought the coming of Premium Trust Bank will change the narrative.

‘I never thought over half of the money (40m naira) would be used to refund the President for some of the monies he spent to sponsor the Golden League events while almost 16m naira would be borrowed from the money meant to provide competitions for the athletes while payments not connected to the sponsorship were made from the sponsorship fees.

‘That was why the audit committee which I chaired recommended the President return the money because there was no agreement that he was loaning the federation the money as well as the redeployment of the Secretary General which some members of the Federation have told to ‘go and sin no more.

‘The audit committee also frowned at the Secretary General’s failed attempt to link the money to Premium Trust Bank when the contract was signed four days after the last event sponsored by the President was held,’ said Gadzama.

The gangling former athlete says he and some of his colleagues on the board of AFN who once competed and won medals for Nigeria will resist all attempts to shortchange the athletes.

‘We were once like these athletes and I remember how we were treated during the Classics competitions in the 1990s and early 2000s.  We want to even do a lot better because the dynamics have changed,’  he said and commended Dr Henry Okorie , the Athletes Representative on the board of the Federation on his nationwide tour to check on the athletes, coaches and clubs.

‘Like us, Dr Okorie is an athlete who also understands where the shoe pinches. He should reassure the athletes of better days ahead once we clean the dirty that has found a home in AFN.’