The 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, is peeved over the poor outing by Nigerian sporting officials at the just-concluded Paris Olympics for returning to the country without a medal.
The Olympic flame was officially extinguished during an elaborate closing ceremony Sunday, officially ending the 2024 Paris Games as Los Angeles takes over for 2028.
Obi while reacting to the poor outing of Nigerian team in the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 complained against the attitude of Nigerian sporting authorities, noting that their gross misconducts should be checked.
The businessman cum politician has called on the federal government to investigate what he termed the ‘rascalities of leaders’ that always rob Nigeria golden opportunities to make a positive change.
“Now that the Paris Olympics 2024 has officially ended and our dear Team Nigeria, despite the huge financial investment made into the project, is returning without a single medal, let me unreservedly register my displeasure with the performance of our team and their handlers.
‘‘The rascality and recklessness that has continued to characterise leadership in our nation in nearly every department. The general impression that has come to stick is the one that portrays our country as a joke, even on the international stage.
‘‘How can one explain that a country like Jamaica spent less than 5% of what we spent on our contingents for the Paris Olympics 2024 and won as many as 6 medals. Yet with our huge financial investments and large contingent, we could not win even a single medal?
At least, nine African countries won gold but the giant with over 200m people came home without even a bronze! We invested about N12 billion in this year’s Olympics, which is almost twice the amount budgeted for the entire Ministry of Science and Technology for this year.
This is over N136 million (about $85,000) spent on each of the 88 Nigerian contingents to the Olympics, and no single medal was won while Jamaica, a nation which spent far less than we did, a total of about $2300 on each contingent, won 6 medals; 1 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze at the Olympics.
We must now interrogate the relationship between this huge investment and our dismal outcome. Sad stories like this are our lot only because we have refused to embrace competence and capacity over routine and favouritism in Nigeria,’’ he stated.
According to him, ‘‘Let us consider the case of Favour Ofili, a Nigerian professional sprinter who trained for years for the 2024 Olympics, only for her name to be recklessly and wrongly removed from the list of athletes for the 100m race at the Olympics by Nigerian sporting authorities.
What explanation can anyone give about Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower, who was frustrated by the same rascality of some Nigerian leaders, making her switch her allegiance to the United States, where she eventually won a medal in the just completed Olympics?
These same professional athletes were denied the opportunity to represent our nation in Tokyo 2020, for similar reasons of administrative recklessness. I have it on good authority that some injured athletes, not physically fit to represent the country and not competing in the ongoing Olympics, were there in Paris receiving estacodes from our national resources.
Some of the sports officials and others who have no reason to be at the Olympics were there too, living large and feeding fat on the estacodes while our nation was crashing out on every sporting event. One of our athletes, Ese Ukpeseraye, had to borrow a bicycle to compete at her sporting event!
How can one sensibly explain such recklessness and infamy?
What a country! What a shame! When do we stop these rascalities that always rob our nation of golden opportunities to make a positive change? I call on the government to investigate these gross misconducts and make sure that those responsible do not have the opportunity to do so again. We must build a nation of discipline and commitment to duty, where competence and capacity reign. That is the New Nigeria we preach, and it is Possible,” Obi lamented.
How Nigeria Tottered in Paris Olympics
Nigeria has ended the 2024 Paris Olympics without a medal.
President Bola Tinubu had approved N12 billion for the country’s outing at the Olympics and the Paralympics. N9 billion was earmarked for the former while N3 billion was budgeted for the latter.
Hannah Reuben lost her Women’s Freestyle 76kg fight early Saturday to effectively put the country’s slim hope of making the podium to rest. She lost 5-2 to Mongolia’s Enkh-Amaryn Davaanasan in the round of 16 tie, capping off a woeful showing for the West African nation.
Team Nigeria went to the Olympics on the back of some great performances in qualifying events. The country registered for 12 events, but sadly – like previous Games – failed to translate its continental dominance at the Olympics.
A series of heartbreaking losses and some administrative lapses have seen Nigeria return home without a medal. The last time that happened was at the London Games in 2012.
Nigeria’s poor showing in Paris was replicated in 1952 Helsinki, 1956 Melbourne, 1960 Rome, 1968 Mexico, 1980 Moscow, and 1988 Seoul where the country won no medal.
Athletes of Nigerian origin who won medals at the Paris Olympic Games
1. Yemisi Ogunleye: Germany’s Golden Girl
Yemisi Ogunleye, born in Germany to a Nigerian father from Omuo- Ekiti in Ekiti State, made history by winning gold in the shot put for Germany.
2. Salwa Eid Naser: Bahrain’s Silver Sensation
Salwa Eid Naser, born Ebelechukwu Antoinette Agbapuonwu in Nigeria, started out fully in her country of birth. She even competed and won at the Nigerian Youth Games where her potential was undeniable. She switched allegiance to Bahrain in 2014 and converted to Islam, adopting her new name.
3. Annette Echikunwoke
America’s Hammer Throw Hero Echikunwoke was born and raised in Pickerington, Ohio by Nigerian parents. She was set to represent Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but was ruled ineligible.
4. Samu Omorodion: Spain’s Golden Footballer
Born in Melilla, a Spanish enclave to Nigerian parents, Omorodion moved to Seville at a young age where he was raised.
Omorodion, eligible to play for Nigeria, helped Spain win gold in the men’s football event.
5. Michael Olise:
Olise was part of the French team that won silver in men’s football. Olise was born in England to a Nigerian father and a French-Algerian mother.
6. Bartholomew Chinenyeze: France
Gold in in men’s Volleyball
7. Femi Bam Adebayo: USA
Gold in men’s Basketball
8. Victoria Ohuruogu: Britain
