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Pastor Enoch Adeboye advocates equal compensation for coaches in sports
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has called for improved compensation for sports coaches in Nigeria, emphasizing their crucial role in team success.
Speaking during the monthly Thanksgiving Service at the RCCG national headquarters in Lagos, Pastor Adeboye expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his recent generous reward to the senior women’s national team following their 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) triumph in Morocco.
President Tinubu had announced a $100,000 cash gift and three-bedroom apartments for each of the 24 players, along with $50,000 for the technical team, including head coach Justine Madugu.
While commending the President for recognizing the players’ achievements, Pastor Adeboye respectfully questioned the disparity in rewards between players and coaches.
<span;>> “I thank the President for the gifts to the Falcons. However, I’m not quite sure I agree that the coaches should get less than the players, because without coaches, the team will not succeed,” he said.
<span;>> “Players depend on the experience, direction, and technical know-how of coaches to perform. A good coach sees your potential and pushes you to become better.”
Recalling his own experience as a youth boxer, Pastor Adeboye shared how his coach’s discipline and tough training shaped him into a stronger individual.
<span;>> “Back then, our coach gave us a hard time. We once asked him if he was training us for the army,” he said with a smile.
<span;>> “But today, I thank him. He built strength in us. A coach is often the difference between talent and triumph.”
Quoting Revelation 2:17, Pastor Adeboye noted that “overcomers deserve rewards” and expressed hope that stakeholders in Nigerian sports would continue to recognize and uplift the efforts of coaches nationwide.
