According to Akin Akinbobola, a former president of the Sunshine Stars and Sunshine Queens football clubs in Ondo State, the state government’s political intervention, inadequate funding, and systematic mismanagement are to blame for the recent relegation of these clubs from Nigeria’s top football divisions.
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The former chairman of the Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA), Akinbobola, was furious about the relegation of the Akure-based teams to lower divisions and blamed mediocrity and misdirected priorities.
After 22 consecutive seasons, Sunshine Stars FC were relegated from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria Women Premier League (NWFL).
At a press conference to assess the Sunshine Stars’ season and the fall of sports in the state, Akinbobola said that the state government should start prioritizing the sports industry and the well-being of athletes because Sunshine Stars FC is not being managed professionally at the moment.
From what I can tell, that establishment is in dire need of some management help. All the way across that expanse, mediocrity has taken root.
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How do you promote a carpenter to the position of chief executive officer of a healthcare facility? What is the process for selecting a physician to lead the Judiciary Commission? Nothing will work.
It goes without saying that the governor has no business reaping the benefits of football and athletic appointments as a kind of retribution against the lads and sycophants. In sports administration, sycophancy has allowed for the propagation of mediocrity.
Emmanuel Oduyi, a former chairman of the Sunshine Stars FC Supporters Club, has pleaded with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to finish the stadium project immediately.
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Daniel Udoh, a former player for Sunshine Stars FC, has stated that everything must be done to revive the club, and that a capable administrator is required to spearhead the effort.