Chess, Scrabble Federations Face Sack
01 Feb 2012
By Olawale Ajimotokan
Supervising Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has canvassed for the streamlining of the national sports associations in order to save costs and make them (federations) to be efficient.
Abdullahi, who is the substantive Minister of Youth Development, made the submission during the public hearing conducted by the House of Representatives Committee on Sports when the NSC appeared before it to defend its budget for year 2012.
According to the minister, the current 37-federation structure is superfluous because the country was not in position to competently fund all of them.
He questioned the relevance of federations like Chess and Scrabble, stressing that the National Sports Commission (NSC) can derive comparative advantage by streamlining these federations to a manageable 10 sports associations that can get results for the country.
He said the rest can continue to exist if they can source their own funds instead of depending on government’s subvention.
“We have all kinds of federations that we don’t even know whether they are hobbies or sports. We should be known for something instead of 37 sports federations. Do we need to give funds to sports like Chess, Ludo and Scrabble which are hobbies and not sports? Let’s ask ourselves, as a country though we have potentials for Ayo Olopon (Ayo), what benefit will Nigeria derive in funding it?” Abdullahi queried.
According to him, the Sports Commission has resolved to go into wider consultation and reach a consensus on the sports that Nigeria can focus on because “there is no point spreading resource so thin on every sport because you want to carry everybody along.”
There is always a concern about policy sustainability in Nigeria sports. Even as the Minister is proposing to streamline these federations, a new administration may step in later to reverse such decision.
But despite such concern, the Minister said the NSC is bound to make the streamlining policy work, in the sense that if it is successful, which ever new office holder will be proud to associate with it.
Similarly, he described the endless power tussle among factions in Nigerian football as ‘political’, and not legal. He insisted that the NSC will soon bring the warring factions to a round table discussion to talk out their differences.
Two weeks ago, a federal high court of competent jurisdiction, threw Nigerian football into confusion by pronouncing the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Nigeria Premier League (NPL) as aberration.
Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com
All chess federations should be abolished and FIDE should take them over.
Fide I’d argue is hardly proven itslef to be a capable hereld. We’re looking at #4 or 5 in the world playing number 16 or 18 for the title. No disrespect to these great two players…but thats’s hardly a good track record. Of course there should be a world chess governing body..to arrange things like candidate matches..chess promotion..etc…but most Feds are run by very crazy people. Even here in Canada…decisions that make no sense. We should take the power OUT of their hands and give it to ourselves..but the problem with that is..eventually…we’ll find someone to run it and abuse it. It’s a really old story. (I think Feds and the whole mechanery of this way of thinking should be abolished. All they are doing is getting rich and taking advantage of people…not pushing Chess. How is it that you can imagine a Fide Pres pays on average..25K for a vote…Americvan politics is the same..Silly rabbits/
To an average chess player a chess federation is irrelevant. Most federations cater only to top ranking players and do nothing for the average player except to milk them for their money. Here in Canada, our federation has actually put barriers up to discourage a club player from playing in a CFC rated event. It is no wonder that many tournaments have switched to unrated active events.
Your ‘average’ player now plays online. Check any chess server out and you will see that chess is booming in popularity. Federations completely ignore this and are still stuck in the past, pining over the days of the ‘Fischer boom’ and can’t see the result of the internet boom.
It’s the same in the US. The USCF does almost nothing for the members. The ones who run it are either crooks or egomaniacs. My children play under the chess express rating system.
I agree With Jason..though I don’t play “hard” and competitive anymore…( I was only average)online chess is the way to go. Federations are run by persons that I do see make any sense.
Time to fly.
In the USCF…ok..I make a buck or two out of them so perhaps I’m a little opinionated..but I’ve met some really nice people there..and I like working with them. Their very nice people…they just somehow manage to get crazy people in management..elections..bleh…but the ones I’ve dealt with are good and honest people.Painting such a broad brushstroke is perhaps not quite accurate.
Kramnik Vs Aronian will be MUCH more fun to look at than Gelfand vs Anand. Anyone knows this. I remember 3 years ago suggesting Carlsen vs Kasparov. I’m sure the money will be better…which speaks plainly at Fides Incompetence.
All thinks are true I agree with relevance of federations like Chess and Scrabble,
Millionaire Chess