EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY, ADO-EKITIACADEMIC SUMMIT

PAPER PRESENTATION OF THE DIRECTORATE OF SPORTS

ON‘’The Sports Administration in the University;

Challenges and Way Forward’’BY

DEPUTY DIRCTOR OF SPORTS (EKSU)

Thursday, 4th February, 2016.

Preamble The Directorate of Sports was formerly operating

as a Sports Unit in the University as far back as the time the university was established. Sport has

become part of the programmes of all academic institutions in Nigeria. Hence, Directorate of

Sports, Human Kinetics, intramural, sports clubs and sport programmes have been created by all

educational institutions to give students and staff the opportunity to participate in leisure, recreation

and competitive sports.

Sports programmes have been associated and recognised for improving the fitness level of students and staff.

The philosophy of Directorate of Sports is to promote emotional, physical, social and psychological well-being of students and staff in the university.

It is of importance to note that sporting activities help in curbing social ills that are very rampant among our students in the university.

STAFFING: The present position of staffing in the

Directorate of Sports is as follows: 1. Deputy Director of Sports2. Assistant Director of Sports 3. Sports Coach I4. Data Processing Officer I 5. Office Assistant I 6. Driver I

SPORTING ACTIVITIES: The Sporting activities are1. Athletics (Track and Field) 2. Basketball3. Handball 4. Volleyball5. Hockey 6. Football7. Tennis 8. Badminton9. Table Tennis 10. Squash11. Swimming 12. Judo13. Taekwondo 14. Chess15. Scrabble Other recreation sports include Draught, Ayo Opon,

Ludo and Daft

SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS (1997 TO DATE)The Directorate of Sports maintains virile

sporting programmes with positive achievements at state, national and

international sporting engagements recalling far back from 1997 to date. Some of these achievements are outlined as follows:

A. WEST AFRICAN UNIVERSITY GAMES (WAUG)I. 11th West African University Games (WAUG), University of Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso 2003 (The University won 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze medals)II. 2nd West African University Games Soccer Championship, 2005 – Federal University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana (The University scored the highest goals and had the best Goalkeeper in the Championship)

III. 1st West African University Games (WAUG TATT) Table - Tennis, Athletics and Tennis Championship, University of Lagos, Nigeria – 2006 (The University won 2 Silver and 1 bronze medals)

IV. 12th West African University Games (WAUG) – University of Ghana, Legon 2008 (The University won 1 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 bronze medals and 4X100m Relay Women Champions)

v. 3rd West African University Games (WAUG) – Soccer Championship – Bayero University Kano – Jan, 2010 (The University was ranked among the best four universities in the Championship)

vi. 2nd West African University Games (WAUG) – Table Tennis, Athletics and Tennis Championships Federal University of Technology Akure – Oct., 2010 (The University won 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 4 Bronze medals, 8th Position overall, best state University and 3rd in Table Tennis)

• 13th West African University Games (WAUG) University of Ilorin, Nigeria – March 2012 (The University won 3 Silver and 8 bronze medals)

B. NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY GAMES (NUGA) i. 16th Nigerian University Games – Bayero University, Kano 1997 (The University won 2 Silver and 3 bronze medals) ii. 19th Nigerian University Games – U.I 2002 (The University won 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 bronze medals)

iii. 20th Nigerian University Games – University of Port – Harcourt 2004 (The University won 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 bronze medals and ranked 2nd best in Table-Tennis in NUGA)

iv. 21st Nigerian University Games – University of Maiduguri 2007 (The University won 2 Silver and 3 bronze medals)

v. 22nd Nigerian University Games – U.N.N 2009 (The University won 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 bronze medals)vi. 24th Nigerian University Games – O.A.U 2014 (The University won 2 Gold and 1 bronze medals)- Best female Taekwondo and Squash players of the Game.

C. NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY ATHELETICS CHAMPIONSHIP (NUAC)

i. 1st Nigerian University Athletics Championship Final, Lagos 2000 (The University won 2 Gold, 2 Silver and I bronze medals)

ii. 2nd Nigerian University Athletics Championship Final, Ibadan 2002 (The University won 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 bronze medals)

D. NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL LEAGUE (NUFOL)

i. 1st Nigerian University Football League, Owerri 2002 (Semi Finalist)

ii. 2nd Nigerian University Football League, Akure 2004 (5th Position)

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTSi. Nigerian University Staff Sports Association Games (NUSSA) A.B.U Zaria, 2009 (The University won 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 bronze medals) ii. 1st Ekiti State Higher Institutions Games (The University won 23 Gold, 19 Silver, 11 bronze medals -1st Position overall)

iii. Moreover, Ex student athletes like Osayomi Damola, Abogunloko Bukola, Ajayi Tope, Akinyemi Victor, Oriade Funke and Ilesanmi Gbenga had represented the state and the country at various national and international competitions like African Games, Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games, African Sports Championships and African University Games

iv. Recently, Adeloye Tosin who is our student, won Gold medal in 4x400cm women relay at the 2015 All African Games held at Congo Brazzaville

EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY BELONGS TO THE FOLLOWING AFFILIATED SPORTS ASSOCIATION

i. Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA)ii. Nigerian University Staff Sports Association

(NUSSA)iii. West African University Games (WAUG)iv. African University Games (FASU)v. World University Games (FISU)vi. Ekiti State Higher Institutions Games (ESHIGA)

CHALLENGES 1. Lack of proper funding of sports; insufficient

budgetary allocation for sports.2. Non availability of adequate and standard

sporting facilities.3. Non availability of adequate consumable and

non-consumable sporting equipment for indoor and outdoor sporting activities.

4. Inadequate recruitment of technical and administrative personnel in the Directorate.

5. Non availability of utility vehicle for the Directorate.6. Non availability of adequate office working tools / equipment.7. No admission quota advantage for sports talents.8. Victimization and intimidation of students participating in sporting activities.

9. Irregularity of the university academic calendar due to students unrest and the incessant industrial strikes of staff unions in the university. 10. No proper maintenance of the university Sports Centre.11. No specific university approved time for students (intramural) sporting activities.12. No operation of designated sports account for the directorate.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WAY FORWARD The following suggestions are hereby

recommended for consideration for the way forward:

1. There should be proper funding of sports by the University Management. Sufficient budgetary allocation for sports should be taken into consideration.

2. Modern and adequate consumable and non consumable sports equipment for indoor and outdoor sporting activities should be provided for training and competitions.

3. Construction of a standard Sports Complex – Gymnasium, Swimming pool, Sports Hostel, Tartan track, Pavilion with sitting terrace, Playing courts, Football pitches and Administrative offices.

4. Recruitment of Technical and Administrative personnel in the Directorate of Sports.

5. Provision of a utility vehicle for smooth running of the operations and day – to – day activities and for attending sports meetings within and outside the country.

6. There should be provision of admission quota advantage for sports talents. The university management should overlook the rigid admission processes that lock out the most athletes from access to University education.

7. Adequate working office tools/equipments should be provided in the Directorate.8. Students participating in sporting activities for the University should be encouraged and be discouraged by victimizing and intimidating them.9. The University Management should try as much as possible to maintain cordial relationship with Students Union government and the Staff Unions so as to have peaceful and conducive atmosphere in our University community.

10. Recruitment of staff for the proper maintenance of the University Sports Centre such as Groundsmen, Stadium Officer etc.

11. There should be specific University approved time / period for students’ Intramural (Sporting activities within the University Campus).

12. There should be a designated sports account in the Directorate for the smooth running of the day to day activities.

13. Recruitment of Part – time coaches from State Sports Council to complement the University available coaches for regular training of students.

CONCLUSION Towards building a world-class University in

sports, it is high time the University Management looked into promoting sporting activities on our Campus. Considering the increasing population of students and staff in our University, the University Management, should endeavour from this moment to take all the necessary steps towards the afore going recommendations for the way forward for building a world-class University.

This will surely help to curb students’ social ills and thereby creating peaceful environment for the entire people of the University community and the state at large. Thanks for Listening. J.A. Adesogan Deputy Director of Sports