Is Nigeria on another jamboree in Paris?

GODWIN AIKIGBE previews Nigeria’s 19th appearance at the Olympic Games, highlighting the intrigues, controversies, and shortcomings, as well as the country’s chances in Paris

Nigeria made its Olympic debut at the 1952 edition in Helsinki, Finland, featuring nine athletes in athletics (men’s 100m, men’s 200m, men’s 4×100 relay, long jump, and high jump) and has competed in every edition since then, except for the boycotted 1976 Summer Olympics.

The country currently is ranked 74th, having won a total of 27 medals in athletics, boxing, football, and wrestling (three gold, 11 silver, and 13 bronze).

Its most successful outing was in Atlanta in 1996, where it bagged a total of six medals, including the prestigious football gold, which saw the U23 men’s team defeat global heavyweights Argentina and Brazil, and the women’s long jump, where Chioma Ajunwa braced the odds to secure the pole position with a leap of 7.12m.

The third gold medal came in the men’s 4x400m at the 2008 edition in Beijing, China, where Nigeria finished second but were eventually awarded the gold medal following the International Olympic Committee’s decision to strip the USA of their medals after Antonio Pettigrew confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs.

Nigeria’s performances have dwindled over the years, having experienced a free fall in the rankings, dropping 32 to 74 after mustering just two medals (silver and bronze) at the 2020 edition staged in Tokyo, Japan, from July 23, 2021, to August 8, 2021, featuring 55 athletes in 10 sports.

Paris 2024

At Paris 2024, a total of 88 Nigerian athletes (25 males and 63 females) will be vying for medals in 12 sports: athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, football, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling, from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, August 11. The contingent is 33 more than the number that represented the country at Tokyo 2020.

Inadequate preparation

It’s traditional for Nigeria not to adequately prepare for competitions, and Paris 2024 is by no means exceptional.

The best the Ministry of Sports Development and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria did was to have athletes participate in the mandatory AFN National Trials held from June 16 to 18 at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City. It was meant to select athletes for the Olympic Games, World U-20 Championships, and the African Senior Athletics Championships, which were held from June 21 to 26 at Stade Omnisport de Japoma, Douala, Cameroon, where Team Nigeria finished third behind South Africa and Kenya, with a total of 15 medals (five gold, six silver and four bronze) from 34 athletes.

These tournaments are by no means preparation-related, being that athletes were only expected to achieve the qualifying standards. This is tantamount to putting the cart before the horse, especially when athletes were left on their own in the run-up to those championships, with neither the Nigeria Olympic Committee nor the Ministry of Sports Development nor the Athletics Federation of Nigeria providing them any incentives.

President Bola Tinubu approved N12bn, the total sum budgeted for the Games and Paralympics by the Ministry of Sports Development, in collaboration with the National Olympic Committee.

This is commendable, but tantamount to putting the cart before the horse. Without adequate preparation, emptying the bank’s vaults on the brink of a major competition is money down the drain, as winning an Olympic medal is never overnight. The country’s number one citizen would have also made funds available for individual preparation by athletes if his attention had been drawn to it by the concerned bodies whose competition-crazy officials only understand preparation to mean pre-championship short camping exercises.

Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, was full of gratitude to the President while recently emphasising the importance of pre-Olympic camping for athletes to achieve focus, fine-tuning, and a serene environment devoid of distractions.

“I want to use this medium to thank President Bola Tinubu for all the support he has given Team Nigeria in preparation for the Olympics. He has always shown he has sports in his heart, and we are more than glad to have him lead our nation at a time like this,” said Enoh, who then announced local pre-Olympic camping exercises in five centres – Abuja, Lagos, and Bayelsa States – from June 1, which don’t involve foreign-based medal hopefuls. This was during his recent meeting with presidents, secretaries, and technical directors of the National Sports Federation at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.

He had stressed the need for Nigeria to surpass the feat achieved at the 1996 Olympics in Paris by mapping out a comprehensive roadmap and technical training programmes.

Former African 100-metre record holder Olusoji Fasuba is one of many athletics stakeholders extensively riled by the unceasing inglorious circumvention of the preparatory process by Nigeria over the years, expressing his reservation in a chat with The According.

“I think it’s not the best and, as usual, they want to go to the games just to participate and not actually to win. Few sports may have gotten it right, but athletics is far from right. Nigeria should learn to prepare its athletes for the games. Support starts some years before and not some months or weeks before,” said Fasuba, a member of the Nigerian bronze medal-winning team in the 4 x 100m relay at the 2004 Olympic Games.

Controversies

It has to be controversial to be Nigerian, which is rather unfortunate.

Fund misappropriation, especially in civilian dispensation, remains the nemesis of Nigerian sports development, coupled with those with a passion for sports being almost always alienated.

Nigeria won two silver medals at Tokyo 2020 through Blessing Oborududu, who achieved the feat in the wrestling women’s freestyle at 68kg, and Ese Brume in the women’s long jump.

It could have been more if 10 athletes were not denied the opportunity to compete due to administrative issues, having failed to undergo the mandatory number of out-of-competition doping tests at the time. These include Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Tima Godbless, Ruth Usoro, Chioma Onyekwere, and quarter-miler Chidi Okezie, all of whom will be making their Olympic debut in Paris.

The viral video of Nigeria’s shot-put finalist, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, washing his jersey ahead of the final of his event was a major highlight of Nigeria’s participation in Tokyo 2020.

The cash cow Federal Government had washed its hands clean and blamed the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development for the global discomfiture, being solely responsible for the provision of competition jerseys for athletes at the Games.

Enekwechi, who finished 12th in his event, expressed his discontentment in a statement on TikTok, which he later deleted: “When you made the Olympic Finals, but you only have one jersey.”

Preparation for Paris 2024 has been marred by controversies on the selection of athletes, especially the exclusion of Seye Ogunlewe and Enoch Adegoke, whom many thought should have made the final list for the men’s 100m and 100x100m relay in place of Favour Ashe and Godson Oghenebrume.

This concern has been addressed by the General Secretary of AFN, Rita Mordi, who, in a statement, outlined the official selection criteria, an explanation that still doesn’t sit well with many people.

The statement read, “Competitions at the Olympic Games are held under the auspices of each international federation.” World Athletics stipulates two ways of qualifying for the games. The first is by attaining the qualification standard.

Shortcomings

Nigeria’s population is approximately 218.5 million as of 2022 and will feature 88 athletes in 12 sports in Paris, while South Africa, whose population is 59.89 million, will field 149 athletes in 21 sports. This clearly shows that Nigeria is not intentional about developing sports across the board.

While South Africa continues to venture into new sports, Nigeria is even losing ground in the ones it has comparative advantages over other countries in the world, notably the sprints, where Kenya and Liberia are now delivering hair-raising performances.

Expectations

Nigerians’ expectations are as high as always heading to Paris 2024, but the reality of making the most dismal outing in the history of the Games in Paris remains stark. However, Nigerians, being strong-willed and blessed with a deep determination to pull the chestnut out of the fire when least expected, provide the country with a hope to lean on.

No one expected the Dream Team to subdue star-studded Argentina and Brazil teams to win gold in the men’s football tournament in Atlanta in 1996, where Chioma Ajunwa also defied all odds to clinch the women’s long jump gold.

Despite the ill-preparedness and attendant controversies, it may not be all woeful for Team Nigeria in Paris, being blessed with some exceptional talents.

Blessing Oborududu and Ese Brume, who won silver in women’s wrestling and long jump at Tokyo 2022, will most likely make the podium alongside Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, and Favour Ofili in the women’s 100m, 200m, and 100x100m relays.

Enekwuechi made the men’s shot put final in Tokyo and should build on that experience to at least reach the podium this time, while the men’s 400x400m and women’s 100×100 relay teams also have fighting chances at medals.

The tasks are apparently daunting, but the unfading Nigerian spirit remains the wind in their sail.