Date: 2015-02-15

When it was built and commissioned by the then Vice President, Augustus Aikhomu on November 21, 1991, the Baseball Park in Adewole, Ilorin was the first in the whole of Africa. And today, it is still the only Baseball Park in Africa because no one has been built since then.

The Park was conceived by those who introduced the sport into Nigeria and to Kwara state,  to develop the sport in Kwara and Nigeria. But the story has changed. The Park is now a mere events center, far beyond the development of baseball and softball.

Findings by The Heraldsports revealed that between 2005 and now, the facility is nothing more than a place for staging marriage ceremonies and other social functions. It has also served at some point, as venue for Kwara Trade Fair, and with that, baseballers and softballers now train in one of the open spaces at the Kwara state stadium.

Baseball and Softball was introduced to Nigeria by General Ishola Williams (retd) in 1989, and was introduced to Kwara state by the General in 1990, through Pa David Akintola, the former Director of Sports in the state.

Pa David Akintola, an educationist and former Principal of Cherubim and Seraphim College, Ilorin was instrumental to the development of baseball and softball in the state.

According to available records, the first team that worked with Pa David Akintola in popularizing the sport in the state include Coach Jide Abidoye, Mrs. Vicky Olumudi, Justice Akanbi Lambo (who was then the Commissioner for Sports), Alhaji Lamidi Alabi (former Director at the Ministry of Sports), Senator Smart Adeyemi (who was then the Secretary), Alhaji Salahu Babatunda Batandee, late Tunji Yahaya and Bayour Issah.

Kwara baseball team was also formed. The team’s first training ground was Cherubim and Seraphim College pitch. The team participated and won the first competition it competed in, the inaugural championship in Minna, Niger state in 1990. The team also participated in a championship in Canada between July and August in 1991. After returning from Canada, the team shifted its training base to the Kwara state stadium.

It was the performance of the team, coupled with the efforts of General Ishola Williams and Pa David Akintola that encouraged the then Military Administrator, Alwali Jauji Kazir to build the Baseball Park in 1991.

The Park contributed immensely to the growth and development of the sport in the state and Nigeria. The Park was leased out by the government in 2005 for reasons which were not made known.

But findings revealed that in 2005, the then Chairman of the Kwara State Baseball and Softball Association, Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, through his Company, Lubcon Limited, sort and obtained permission from the state government to lease the facility.

And from then, it ceased to be a facility to develop baseball and softball. It became a venue for parties and other social functions, Trade Fairs and others.

Initially, Kwara Sliders used to train at the Park every Fridays and Saturdays, and that was when events have not been scheduled to hold there. And sometimes, they have to clean it after an event had taken place there, before they train. Kwara Sliders Baseball and Softball is among the four existing teams in the state presently.

And in April 2014, the management of Double ‘T Little League, being led by Temitayo Femi Abolarin, and that of Kwara Sliders had an understanding to jointly present a team that will represent the state in the maiden edition of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed U-14 tournament. The tournament was conceived by Kwara Double ‘T little League Baseball and Softball Association, to honour the state Governor.

After their first training at the Park on April 3rd, five officials -Alhaji Salahu Babatunde Batandee, Coach Influence Gwede, Akintemi Fredrick, Grace Onyekwere and Coach Jide Abidoye were arrested by the security team from ‘D Division, Adewole, and the Chief Security Officer of Lubcon Limited.

They were said to have been arrested under the pretence that (1) Lubcon Limited had obtained a lease certificate and an abdication from the state government to use the Park to generate funds, and had the sole right to determine who uses the Park at any time. (2) That those arrested unlawfully made use of the Park for training Kwara state team. (3) That they unlawfully used one of the shops at the Park for selling drinks, where there was fighting, bottle breaking, and where they were allegedly selling Indian Hemp.

Through the intervention of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Mrs. Rhoda Ajiboye and the Director of Sports, Mallam Tunde Kazeem, the arrested officials were released.

The Heraldsports scooped that in the statement written by the arrested officials, they asked Lubcon Limited to provide evidence of the lease agreement with the government.

They also argued that part of the money being realized from the Park be used to pay Baseball and Softball coaches, some of whose livelihood depends largely on the sport, and also used to clear and clean the Park whenever the need arises.

Before the officials were released, it was jointly agreed that the ownership of the Baseball Park be left for the government and Lubcon Limited to decide. It was also agreed that the association continue to use the shop at the Park since allegations of fighting, breeding of touts were not true, and that the association continue to make use of the Park for training and hosting competitions since that was the essence of the Park.

And lastly, that the matter be referred to Alhaji Jani Ibrahim, who was then the Chairman of Baseball and Softball Association, for further amicable resolution.

The growth and development of baseball and softball in Kwara and Nigeria technically has can be traced to Coach Jide Abidoye. Coach Jide Abidoye was offered temporary appointment in 1985, as Coaching Assistant/player by the Kwara State Sports Council. The letter of temporary appointment was dated May 21, 1985, and with reference number KWSC/279/vol.1/100. The appointment was terminated on September 2nd, 1986 for what the Council termed financial constraint, with the promise to call him back when situation improves. But that never happened.

In December 2006, he was assigned, in a letter dated December 13th 2006, and with reference numberKWSC/21/vol.xxvi/273, as an Honorary Coach/Coordinator for Baseball and Softball Association in the state by the Sports Council, after considering his technical ability, coaching experience, leadership role and genuine interest in the sport. But the assignment attracts no pay at all, even though, The Heraldsports learnt, it was agreed verbally that it would attract stipends, before he turned in his letter of acceptance of the offer.

And despite his sacrifice, he was suspended indefinitely for what the Nigeria Baseball and Softball Association (NBSA) termed ‘misconduct. But the body has, after its investigation, exonerated him of the misconduct. The NBSA in a letter dated December 31, 2014, and signed by its Secretary, Kehinde Laniyan, Coach Jide Abidoye was exonerated, and can now take part in all the activities of the state and at the national level.

He has also been appointed as a member of the National Technical Commission by the NBSA. In a letter signed by the President of the NBSA, Victor Fingesi, Coach Jide Abidoye will be responsible to the National Executive Committee through the Chairman of the National Technical Commission, and his duty will be to supervise all technical programmes such as championships, coaching clinics, umpiring courses, scorers’ courses and camping for the purpose of international engagements.

The appointment, which is not remunerative, is for two years

Since 1990 when baseball and softball was introduced into the state, no baseball coach is on the payroll of the Sports Council, or is being paid through other means, to develop the sport, unlike in other states.

Baseball and softball won one gold, two silver and one bronze for Kwara state in three different National Sports Festivals, apart from other national and international honours they have brought to the state.

At the 2004 National Sports Festival in Abuja, the baseball team won gold. At the 2006 festival in Abeokuta, the softball team won silver, while the baseball team won bronze, and at the Kaduna festival in 2009, the baseball team won silver.

The national baseball and softball team is being dominated by Kwara players. And in 2003, Kwara team and coach represented Nigeria during the 8th All Africa Games held in Abuja, Nigeria, and they won silver.

At a meeting on September 18, 2014, baseball and softball stakeholders decided to reposition the sport in the state. They called for the dissolution of the association due to what they described as non performance. They also decided that the Park be given back to the stakeholders, with the money being generated from the Park shared among three bodies: the state government, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development and the association on agreed per centage.

Before now, some group of football enthusiasts had sort for the conversion of the Park to Ilorin stadium to complement the Kwara state stadium.

Pa David Akintola, who was instrumental to the development of baseball and softball in the state, said that the Park is not achieving what the founding fathers had wanted to achieve with it.

‘We have not come close to achieving it. For a while it went into a private ownership. And government was not too clear what would be its role. Government must make up its mind that it really wants a Baseball Park that represents the first in Africa. It must be well funded. We have not quiet achieved our aims’, he said.

He also reacted to the issue of the Park been used as event centre by saying that if it is done under proper management, and the money accruing from the arrangement being used for the development of baseball, then it’s okay.

‘That facility holds a lot of potential, but, who is the manager now? And how about the issue of accountability? The place should be utilized, fully’, he added.

A visit to the Park shows that there is much to be done to bring the dilapidated facility up to date. The zinc of the stand has started falling apart, and the surrounding dirty. And that is the situation of the only Baseball and Softball Park in Africa, the Park that has produced notable stars that are now plying their trades in Europe and other places.