THE FINANCIAL LIMITATONS OF MALE SQUASH ATHLETES IN NIGERIA

Shittu Adeola (Squash player)

It is no longer news that SQUASH is a fast growing sport in Nigeria with lots of talented players, both male and female who have successfully represented the country home and abroad..
However, financial limitations especially for male athletes in Nigeria SQUASH abounds and has been since years ago. Male athletes are known to be at the receiving end when it comes to financial limitations and lack of reward or support facing players of the sport.
Due to the higher number of male squash players all over the country, most male charts often starts from the per-qualifiers or qualifiers to stream down the number of players who would make it into the main chart. However, players receive no reward whatsoever in these stages of the competition no matter how skilled the player is or where the player travels from to attend the tournament. If he gets beaten along the line without getting to the important stages of the competition, he ends up with nothing and goes back empty handed despite facing tough competition.
However, their female counterparts are luckier. the fact that they are way fewer in numbers allows them to skip the ''pre'' stages and automatically qualify for the main draws where it is certain they will receive a reward without lifting a finger. If you were to do exactly the same job as someone for exactly the same pay you would think its fair enough. However, if you were to do the same job and paid the same amount as an employee who only spent half the same amount of time at work as you do- you would be, understandably, cheesed off. That is exactly what is happening in Nigeria SQUASH.
Why can't compensations for every athletes who participates in every tournament be encouraged? Does it now mean that being a female SQUASH player who require less work or face lesser competition, is more profiting and rewarding than being a male SQUASH player in Nigeria?
I strongly believe a proportion of prize money should be evenly distributed as compensation to participants who couldn't make it into the main draw/event due to bigger chart and high level of competition.
If we truly want to strive for an egalitarian society between men and women, where we are rewarded as part of a meritocracy, then the governing bodies of SQUASH in Nigeria need to seriously reconsider the distribution of prize money for equal benefits.

                  -- Shittu Adeola