Against all expectations, Nigeria’s 19th appearance at the Olympic Games ended woefully, failing to win a medal at Paris 2024, which rounded off on Sunday after 16 days of intense competition for medals.
After winning two medals (silver and bronze) at the last edition in Tokyo, everyone expected Team Nigeria to aim higher, but they fell short on all fronts despite the massive N9 billion funds from the federal government being the total budget the National Olympic Committee submitted to the presidency for approval.
The country featured 88 athletes in 12 sports and came back empty-handed, making it a disappointing Olympics for Nigerians, the country’s worst outing at the Olympics since London 2012, as notable medal prospects Tobi Amusan, Blessing Oborududu, Favour Ofili, Ese Brume, and Quadri Aruna fell short in their respective events.
As has been the case in almost all international outings, Nigeria’s campaign was dented by controversies. Ofili’s name was inexplicably omitted from the women’s 100m roster for which she had qualified. The age-old kitting crisis reared its ugly head again as athletes had two kits separately supplied by the Athletes Federation of Nigeria and National Olympic Committee.
After Amusan’s failure, Hannah Reuben was the last athlete left to salvage a medal for the country, but she lost her second-round fight in the women’s freestyle wrestling 76 kg, 5-2 (victory by points) to Mongolia’s Davaanasan Amar Enkh on Saturday.
Only D’Tigress gave Nigerians something to cheer as Rena Wakama’s team braced the odds to reach the quarterfinals of the Women’s Basketball Tournament, becoming the first African team to reach that stage of Olympics basketball.
Their laudable performance lent credence to the objective selection of players by a coach with tactical and technical savvy.
Their adventure ended with an 88-74 defeat to perennial winners the USA, but Wakama made her charges totally outplay the Americans in the last quarter, being the only team to have put them on the back foot in many years.
The resonating outing is hinged on Wakama’s infectious passion for the game, being proudly Nigerian, and belief that leading the team is more than just a job.
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“I’m so proud. We did this in one year, and I’m so happy. This is just the beginning. I’m Nigerian; this is home. I wanted to take the job because I wanted to inspire and build where I’m from,” said the record-making coach.
Meanwhile, it has been all gloom in Team Nigeria camp, with athletics and officials wearing long faces and the Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, fuming over the fiasco, threatening to rid the various sports federations of official bereft of requisite ideas for excellence.
“I know that elections into the Federations are coming, and it will be the perfect platform to get only those who have something to offer to lead the various sports. I am aware that the Sports Federation Elections in Nigeria are even tougher than our National Elections, and you will begin to ask yourself why it is so,” said Enoh, who is not happy about Nigeria being also-ran at the multi-sport event.
Meanwhile, interim Nigeria Boxing Federation President Azania Omo-Agege has called on the minister to pursue an inquest into the affairs of the federation following the controvery and failure in Paris.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
