GENERAL ISHOLA WILLIAMS (Rtd) is credited to be the first man who introduced baseball to Nigeria. He was the first National Chairman of the Nigeria Baseball & Softball Association and also regarded as the grandfather of baseball in Nigeria. Ishola who has a knack for the development of baseball and other sports in Nigeria was at the just concluded Baseball5 Western Regional championship at the NIS Sports Complex Gymnasium of National Stadium. In this interview, he spoke exclusively with JOSEPH ODOEKWU about the troubles encountered by baseball and other sports in Nigeria. Excerpts
Sir, what were your reasons for the introduction of baseball in Nigeria?
At that time when I introduced baseball in Nigeria, there were three main reasons. The first was that I wanted to create an opportunity for young Nigerian athletes who were good enough in baseball to go to the United States and school and also play baseball there, just like it is in basketball and other sports that originated from the United States of America. The second reason was that it affords the athlete an opportunity to become professionals while being athletes in the United States and some other parts of Asia, while the third reason was that I wanted Nigeria to compete favourably with South Africa in baseball which is the best team in Africa today and so that our players can benefit from all the opportunities that comes with baseball.
Were you able to achieve these goals?
Unfortunately these goals were not achieved and it is because of the obstacles in Nigeria
What are these obstacles, can you be elaborate sir?
The obstacles basically have to do with the Nigerian system and how it works, and that was why those goals were not achieved. And till date, those obstacles that hindered the realization of those goals are still affecting other sports in Nigeria and that is very bad. And that is why till today Nigeria is dependent on foreign-based players to play for the country. If you look at the basketball team that played for Nigeria at the Olympics, they are all based abroad and the same thing applies to even our football. In fact, if we take the government away from football today, football will die in Nigeria and yet football has been in Nigeria for nearly 100 years, but yet we are not ashamed. We think we are playing football, and we want to win the World Cup? We can never win the World Cup.
What other obstacle is affecting baseball development in Nigeria?
Another obstacle affecting baseball development in Nigeria is equipment, because when you look at baseball and softball in Nigeria the equipment is not made in Nigeria. So we have to buy them from abroad and they do not come cheap. We need baseball playgrounds also, even though today we are lucky we have a baseball park in Ilorin which is of international standard, but are they maintaining it? And with all efforts we made to manufacture baseball materials in Nigeria, but people are not ready to help. So there are so many obstacles impeding baseball and sports development in Nigeria and those obstacles are still there. The obstacles are at the state, federal and even at the local government levels. There are directors of sports, ministers of sports that all they do is to squander the money, that’s all. And they want us to win, they are joking. If there are no professional sports in Nigeria managed by the private sector or rich individuals, we are not going to get anywhere in sports.
Has the play of baseball met your expectations in Nigeria?
Of course it has not met my expectations and it will never meet with the rate at which we are going. And I do not blame those who succeeded me because it is not easy to overcome the challenges and obstacles that are in Nigeria. Secondly, when you turn on your television or go to the pages of the newspapers, it is football you see mostly and maybe they manage to squeeze a page for other sports. Even if you look at the basketball that did well at this Olympics, the media gave them temporary coverage and as soon as this Olympics is over, you will not hear anything again about D’Tigress. It is Football! Football!! Football!!! In fact, even in coverage of football in Nigeria, the main focus is on European leagues such as the English Premier League, La Liga and others all over the place. Where is the room for other sports? And the truth is if you do not show other sports they cannot become popular. This requires common sense but I have found out that even the journalists go to where they will get paid, and I really cannot blame them because they have to earn a living. But they have also forgotten that they can grow with a sport.
Thank you very much sir for your time
You are welcome
