Prof Olajide Bademosi, who captained the national cricket team from 1975 to 1981, turned 80 on Thursday. In this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA, he spoke on wide-ranging issues concerning sports in NigeriaI grew up in a house that had a cricket tradition. My uncle, Bunmi Onoji, an engineering student in our house, was the captain of a cricket team, and I grew up in that tradition. At the same time in school, you played all games. I played football while in the University of Ibadan.
Why has Nigeria found it difficult to compete with the likes of India, South Africa and Australia in cricket? One of the many reasons is that cricket in Nigeria started as an amateur sport, sponsored by the schools, government colleges mainly, before the explosion. The problem then came with the economic crunch. For instance, the price of a cricket bat was less than £6 when I was in UI, or even in my high school. But a good cricket bat now sells for £150. Then some of us bought our kits ourselves, but the schools provided kits mostly.
UnFair Football is still underpromoted in Nigeria
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