Ondo State Para-Table Tennis Coach, Boye Omodojo, says he is happy with his achievements at the ongoing National Sports Festival, saying it may be his last attendance at such Festival.
Para and deaf Table Tennis players won one silver and five bronze medals for the state.
Omodojo, told the media on Thursday in Asaba, that he had not gone to any festival without winning medals for the state since he was employed by the state sports council.
He said that It was not easy coaching people with disabilities, adding that “people with disabilities cannot train each other, only able-bodied can train them and achieve results.
“I thank God for my life because, by this time next year, I will retire and I thank God for one thing; throughout my stay as a coach, no competition I participated in where I did not win medals.
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“I thank my players for the encouragement and the support they gave me. I am leaving (retiring), and all my athletes are not happy, by September 2023, I will retire.
“My athletes are not happy I’m leaving, but soldier goes soldier come, I will not follow them to the next festival but the little I can do, I will do; my successor will not lack my support if he needs it,” he said.
Omodojo said any coach coming after to replace him should be patient with the athletes, saying, “it is not easy to train para-athletes.”
He said he was happy to have achieved what he achieved with the little that was available and could beat his chest that the state did not poach any athlete but developed.
“Any coach coming after me should have patience with them. It’s not easy to deal with the para people and deaf, all those boys know me, we will fight, I will shout at them, and they will shout at me, but later, I am their father, I will call them to come,” he said.