The National Sports Commission of Nigeria (NSC) has begun efforts to hire at least three Cuban athletics coaches due to dissatisfaction with the performance of local coaches in events such as hurdles and long jump.
Cuban specialists would work directly in Nigeria in preparation for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as reported this Tuesday by the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian.
The initiative emerged after an analysis conducted by the sports authorities regarding the work of the technical department of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
A source close to the NSC cited by The Guardian stated that there is dissatisfaction due to what the authorities consider inadequate technical preparation and, especially, the difficulty in developing local athletes capable of excelling in certain specialties.
"Cubans are very good in those disciplines, and the CND is acting quickly to ensure that at least three of them start working immediately," the source stated.
Among the main concerns is the long jump. Nigeria's men's national record remains in the hands of Yusuf Alli, who achieved a distance of 8.27 meters in 1989, a mark that has stood for over three decades.
According to the source, the intention is for Cuban coaches to establish themselves in Nigeria and work directly with the country's athletes, rather than limiting themselves to occasional consulting.
"I am sure that the AFN coaches will not like this agreement, but the National Sports Council wants to revitalize the AFN's technical department to achieve better results," he added.
Cuba, a reference in hurdles and jumps
The search for specialists on the island is related to the tradition of Cuban athletics in technical events such as hurdles and jumps.
One of his most renowned coaches was Santiago Antúnez, who was responsible for training several generations of Cuban hurdlers and was named Coach of the Year by the IAAF in 2010.
Among the athletes who were under his direction are Anier García, Olympic champion in the 110-meter hurdles at Sydney 2000, and Dayron Robles, champion at Beijing 2008 and former world record holder.
Cuba has also achieved historic results in the long jump. Iván Pedroso dominated the event for a significant part of the 1990s and won the Olympic title at the Sydney 2000 Games, in addition to multiple world championships.
Cuban trainers have already worked in Nigeria
The sports cooperation between Havana and Abuja has institutional precedents. Both governments signed a sports cooperation agreement in 2006 and have maintained exchanges in this area over the past two decades.
The deployment of coaches has been a part of Cuba's sports services export policy for years. According to official figures, INDER has signed 186 cooperation agreements with 113 countries.
These missions have also raised questions about the conditions under which some professionals are sent abroad. Recently, Cubans assigned to African countries reported difficult working and living conditions.
At the moment, the hiring of the three Cuban technicians has not been officially announced.
The general director of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, neither confirmed nor denied to The Guardian the negotiations; therefore, the plan is currently based on information provided to the newspaper by a source close to the sports commission.
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