Tag: Paris Olympics

• Why Nigerian athletes are doing better abroad
• Experts cite dearth of school sports, misplaced priority, shortage of dedicated administrators/coaches, facilities for poor performances.

Nigeria’s under-par performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics has brought to the fore, again, the disparity between the poor showing of Nigerian athletes and athletes of Nigerian origin who are flourishing in the colours of adopted nations, Assistant Editor TAIWO ALIMI writes.

Yemisi Ogunleye stole the show at the Paris Olympics. She made history in the women’s shot put event by winning the gold medal. Following her athletic achievement, she gained attention for her spontaneous gospel songs, which quickly went viral on the internet. She soon earned the sobriquet of “A champion and gospel singer.”

Although her 20.0-meter throw was monstrous and historical, the 25-year-old captivated the world with a touching tribute to her Nigerian heritage.

Yemisi was born in Germany to a Yoruba father and a German mother, but she chose to represent the ‘motherland’ at the Olympics.

But to the surprise of many watching her on television across the world,she broke into a Yoruba gospel song after collecting her medal.The world took notice.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Ogunleye expressed her joy and pride in representing both Germany and her Nigerian heritage.

“I guess my mom and my dad are in front of the TV watching right now. It’s crazy,” she said.

“I mean, I’m a German and my dad is Nigerian, so I’m both. I’m a mixed girl, and it just makes me proud to represent Nigeria-Ekiti State from Omuo Oke, where my dad comes from. Yeah, and also my hometown, Welheim in Germany.

“Yeah, it just gives me so much confidence to know that there are so many people out there supporting me, and they believed in me in times when I couldn’t believe in myself. They just spoke so many encouraging words into my life.”

Probed to sing a song in her father’s Yoruba dialect, she spontaneously launched into a popular Yoruba gospel thanking Jesus for giving her victory.

The touching video impressed thousands of Nigerians, who applauded her for not forgetting her origins. Many wished she was representing Nigeria.

REALITY BITES

The reality is that she competed for Germany, and the gold medal went to her country of birth.

Ogunleye was not the only one involved in this kind of  situation. There were other athletes whose names were familiar, not because they were globally renowned, but because they were of Nigeria origin. These athletes have roots in Nigeria and were either born in foreign lands (which is not their fault) or chose to naturalize and adopt a country other than Nigeria, thus becoming dual citizens. Whatever the case may be, it is certain that they have Nigerian parentage and representing their motherland should be their first choice.

FLYING ADOPTED COUNTRY’S FLAG

The problem here is that they were not flying Nigeria’s flag on the global stage; rather, they came to the biggest sporting event -the Olympic Games –  flying the flags of countries of adoption.

The just-ended Paris Olympics show cased   many of such  athletes and they came in different shades and spheres. In the end, when they climbed the podium to collect their medals, it wasn’t the flag of Nigeria flying but those  of their adopted countries.

So, on August 8, 2024, when the curtain fell on the Paris Olympics and the Hall of Fame was unveiled, many familiar Nigerian names adored the centerpiece, but in front of them were unfamiliar flags. The Nigerian flag was nowhere in sight. Where the colours of the most populous black nation should have been were conspicuously those of Germany, Bahrain, England, USA, Spain, France, and Ireland.  

Names like Yemisi Ogunleye, Annette Echikunwoke, Samu Omorodion, Michael Olise, Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu now Salwa EidNaser, and Rashidat Adeleke sufficiently tell the story of perhaps what would have been if they were representing the motherland. Maybe or maybe not, the sports-loving nation would have made the rank of countries with medals in Paris.

WHAT’S WITH THE N9BILLION

Sadly, after the N9 billion released by the Federal Government to the Ministry of Sports to enable Nigeria participate in  the Olympics, and a lot more going into individual and team preparation, Nigeria left Paris without a single medal, and as Nigeria’s sports icon Segun Odegbami rightly put it  “with experience and many would-be world beaters.”

STORY BEHIND THE STORY

The story of Annette Echikunwoke is particularly  depressing for many Nigerians. The Ohio-USA-born hammer thrower wanted to represent her motherland.Her Nigerian  dad too wanted her to fly Nigeria’s flag. He convinced his wife,an American, and Annette to support his plan. They concurred.And to Nigeria she came   to compete against the best here for a ticket for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

She did well enough to get the  ticket.However, official ineptitude denied her her first Olympics appearance.

Echikunwoke was one  of more than a dozen Nigerian athletes who were barred from participating in the 2020 Olympics on account of  negligence on the part of Nigeria’s Athletics Federation, which failed to set up pre-games testing for its athletes going to Tokyo.

That act of incompetence cost her dearly, and she lost trust in the Nigerian system. Her father had to give up his dream of seeing her daughter in the colours of his country.

Echikunwoke filed for the adopted country and made Team USA to the 2022 World Championships and 2024 Olympic Games.

At the end of the Paris games, Nigeria’s loss became US’s gain as the 28-year-old delivered a silver medal in the women’s hammer throw event for the USA.

Athletics buff Dare Esan said: “Nigeria is very strong in hammer throw and shot put at the African level and I know we can equally do well at the global stage.”

Esan stopped short of affirming that Yemisi’s gold and Echikunwoke’s silver should have gone to Nigeria if we had done the right thing.

After what happened to the disqualification of our athletes in Tokyo 2020, many Nigeria-eligible athletes lost faith in the Nigerian system.

Samu Omorodion, the new Chelsea striker, is part of the new generation of Spain’s line of world beaters in football. He was a member of the U-23 team that went all the way to win the  gold in men’s football at the Olympics. He made four appearances. In one of the matches, Omorodion got on the score sheet, scoring Spain’s only goal in a 2-1 loss to Egypt.

The 20-year-old forward is still eligible to play for Nigeria despite playing for Spain at the Olympics, but his international career trajectory indicates that he is more inclined to pitch his tent with the country of his birth rather than his parent’s nationality.

There is also  Michael Olise who featured for the French football team in the Olympics.

The Bayern Munich new signing is eligible to play for Nigeria and Algeria where his father and mother come from respectively. As he was born in France, the former Crystal Palace star decided to represent Les Bleus internationally.

After missing out on France’s EURO 2024 squad, Olise showed the senior side what they missed as he starred for Thierry Henry’s side at the Olympics, eventually winning the silver medal following a 5-3 extra-time loss to Spain in the final.

Olise scored two goals and gave  five assists  in six matches for France and was one of the best players in the competition. Nigeria’s Dream Team did not even qualify.

Football analyst Kunle Solaja thinks Olise is Nigerian only in his surname.

“I don’t think we should even be thinking of Olise as ours. He is better suited for the European style of football than African,” he said.

One athlete that Nigeria, however, should have held on to is Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu now Salwa Eid Naser.

She changed her name after switching allegiance to Bahrain in 2014 and converted to Islam.

Born in Onitsha, Anambra State to a Nigerian mother and a Bahraini father, she opted for her Bahrain following  Nigeria’s lip service to sports development.

Nigeria’s loss here is colossal. Bahrain counts herself lucky to have Eid Naser, who is arguably the biggest female athlete in that country. She has made a name for herself in Asian and world athletics, winning 25 gold medals across 200 and 400 meters in several competitions, including the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Eid Naser won the women’s 400m silver medal, finishing behind the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, who broke the Olympic record to win gold.

Eid Naser’s silver medal also denied  Rasidat Ajibade, an Irish runner born to Nigerian parents of at least the bronze , as she narrowly finished in fourth place. 

One name that stood out in the USA Basketball team is that of  Bam Adebayo who plays for  Miami Heat. Adebayo is born to a Yoruba father from Nigeria and an African-American mother. He has been to two Olympics winning gold medals for his adopted country USA on both occasions.

The towering defender played a top role in the U.S. defense of the gold medal in Paris. He was especially dominant in the game against South Sudan scoring 18 and recording five defensive rebounds in the game. In the final against France, Adebayo finished two points and a rebound in his nine minutes off the bench and provided tough defense and a screening in the pivotal fourth quarter.  

Beyond the medal-winning names, others didn’t make the podium but made the team list for adopted countries. Among them are Victoria Ohurougu, Tade Ojor, Lawrence Okoye, Jeremiah Azu, and Delicious Orie, all in the colours of the United Kingdom.

AS IT WAS IN TOKYO

Remarkably, this isn’t the first time Nigeria would flop in the Olympics.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics scores of athletes originally from Nigeria fluttered the flags of their adopted  countries.   

Among them was Desalu Eseosa, who ran the anchor leg of Italy’s Men’s 4x100m relay to win gold ahead of the U.S., Great Britain, and Canada.

Other athletes in the blend were Ujah Chindu (United Kingdom), Ajomale Bolad (Canada), Akinradewo Foluke (USA), Chiebuka Emmanuel Ihemeje (Italy), Lawrence Okoye (Great Britain) Chinedu Ujah (Great Britain) Ezine Okparaebo (Norway), Barthelemy Chinenyeze (France) Tobi Fahwehinmi (USA) Nadia Eke (Ghana), and Monica Okoye (Japan).

DROUGHT OF SCHOOL SPORTS

While the case of Echikunwoke is not commonplace, the dearth of school sports in Nigeria is considered chief among the problems facing our sports growth.

Former Nigerian footballer, who benefited from school sports initiatives in the 60s and 70s Dr. Osarieme Bazuaye believed that the country must return to  the basics  for it to come out of sporting stagnation.

“I attended Edo College Benin and CMS Grammar School Lagos for my secondary schooling, and these are the places where I got my football and cricket skills,” he said.

“We used to have excellent facilities and good coaches and there was incentive for athletes. I played for both schools and there I met other great players from different regions of the country.”

While in the secondary school team, Bazuaye, who has found a new love in golf, said he was scouted to play for the Regional Cadet Team.

“I would have taken my talent further by signing for a professional team, but my parents preferred I go to University.”

Bazuaye,now 80, later played in the West African University Games representing Nigeria.

“Over time I remembered that most of the national players came from the school system. Players like Stephen Keshi, Atanda Musa, Henry Nwosu, Paul Hamilton, Tunde Disu, Falilat Ogunkoya, Modupe Oshikoya, and Chidi Imoh, all came through the school sports route”

He said what is lacking in Nigeria’s sports system is what is working for the U.S., UK, Canada, China, France, Jamaica, and other countries excelling in the Olympics.

His words:”That is the reason why you see our children in the colours of other countries. When they go to UK schools, they meet a working school sports system; outstanding facilities, and dedicated coaches to bring out the best in them.

“These coaches usually convince them to file for the country and that is why we see our kids running for the UK and the U.S.”

He added that with the ‘JAPA’ syndrome, the pattern would  not abate.

Former table tennis national champion Atanda Musa shares the same thought as Bazuaye.

Speaking in Lagos, while on holiday from his U.S base, the Commonwealth Games champion said:”During our time we went everywhere for school sports.

“I went  as far as Calabar for school sports. We had the National Sports Festival; and in table tennis, we had about 15 players all at the same level and the only advantage I have over them is luck. I can boldly say that.

“I was in St Gregory College while playing for Nigeria. I would go to the Nigerian camp for about six months and from the camp we would be going to school. We would be in camp training ,and the evening do our school work.”

Musa who later coached the national teams of Saudi Arabia and Qatar said his job in both countries was made easier by  the presence of a strong school sports system.

He said:”In Saudi Arabia and Qatar, they allowed me to do my job. I took the Saudi Arabian national team to the World Championship in Sweden.

“Before I became their coach their position was 52 and I spent four to five years there. By the time I left, they were 32 in the world ranking. That is a sign of improvement.

“Things worked fine because they have a strong school sports system where you can go to look for aspiring champions. They have good schools with updated sports facilities and good coaches. There are incentives for talented students and that is why I was able to accomplish there. When I was asked to coach the Nigerian team I refused because I knew I wouldn’t be given a free hand.”

Musa’s former coach, former African champion in Kasali Lasisi also came through school sports. He dominated the table tennis scene in  the 60s and 70s.

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The former table tennis champion represented Nigeria in many international and national competitions and rose to become Technical Advisor and Chief Coach of the Congo Brazzaville Table Tennis Federation.

He said discarding school sports is the result of the failure that Nigeria is experiencing.   

He said:”while in school I loved football but played table tennis for fun. We only played table tennis for bragging rights.

“Then, the former national coach came to our school, he saw me playing and was impressed, and picked me up from there.

“He just returned from China where he had gone for a coaching refresher course. He wanted to experiment with a new drill, and he picked me for the experiment. He gave me a new racket he brought from China and altered my style of holding the bat. At first, I complained. ‘Oh! Everybody is playing like this and you want me to be holding the bat differently.’

“I later mastered it and I became the best forehand of my time. All this happened in my school days. There are good coaches in the schools and they would take us to local and national championships where national coaches would see and turn us into world beaters. That is what is lacking, and what others are using to make it at the Olympics.”

Former Nigeria international and captain of Green Eagles as the Super Eagles were called then,  Odegbami, is also  a product of school sports himself.

He said  Nigeria’s first individual gold medalist at the 1996 Olympics –Chioma Ajunwa- was a product of self-determining quest for excellence in a failed Nigeria system.

Odegbami should know because he was Ajunwa’s manager at the time.

He explained: “Nigeria’s first ever individual gold medalist came from the blues, in an independent pursuit by a lady wronged and condemned by the system and the country.

“Chioma Ajunwa was not a product of Nigeria’s successful program. Nigeria’s sprinters of that generation, both male and female, had for years been demonstrating individual capability on the international circuit before the Olympics – Onyali, Ogunkoya, Olopade, Alozie, Egbunike, Ezinwa brothers, Sunday Uti, and several others, talented athletes that came through the web of Nigeria’s limited development programs, hinged mostly to training in America, through self-help or federal government scholarships.

“Nothing was properly structured before and after 1980 to produce a steady stream of the best sprinters embedded in our genes.”

SCARCITY OF GOOD ADMINISTRATOR AND FACILITY

Of a greater impact on the current state of Nigerian sports, Musa said, is the shortage of dedicated administrators, coaches, and facilities.

Nigeria’s foremost table tennis international Bilikisu Popoola said the dedication of the late chairman of the Nigeria Table Tennis Association (NTTA) Dr. Adegboyega Efunkoya ignited the success that was recorded in their time.

“It was that man that turned around table tennis in Nigeria. I will not forget him because as a young girl playing table tennis, he did everything to encourage me, and other players.

“ Dr. Efunkoya was always with us. He knew much about the game and was dedicated to the players. He would leave his hospital for the Lagos National Stadium without eating anything and stayed there with us for a whole day.

“He lodged us in his house and instructed his wife to feed us and take care of us. He attracted many of his friends to sponsor table tennis tournaments as well as players too.”

According to the current Vice President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Adesoji Tayo, inadequate and up-to-date facility is one of the factors impeding Nigeria’s success at the Olympic Games and other international meetings.

“In the past everything about table tennis was individual and we are making an effort to move away from individual effort to collective effort. It’s sad that virtually all the standard table tennis boards in Nigeria that are being used for competition, are owned by two persons. So, if there is going to be a competition  in Abuja, we have to go to one of them and transport the boards from wherever they are to Abuja.”

“Why is it that?The reason is that the government has not been buying equipment, not just at the federal level, even in the states. So, it’s a general problem with Nigerian sports.”

Another question begging for an answer is what is the annual budget allocated to sports used for?

31.2 BILLION SPORTS BUDGET

The share of the Federal Ministry of Sports Development in the N28.7 trillion 2024 appropriation bill passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is N31,239 Billion.

Of the N31,239 Billion the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will spend N1,55 Billion, the Nigeria Institute of Sports (NIS) has N1,15 Billion, and the Ministry headquarters has N28,53billion.

The total personnel cost of the Sports Development Ministry is N3, 235 Billion while N7,99 billion was earmarked for overhead while N20,004 billion was budgeted for capital projects.

A further breakdown shows that the ministry’s headquarters will spend N10.959 billion and N19, 57 billion on recurrent and capital expenditures respectively.

Similarly N9m was earmarked for the renovation of the Sports Minister’s offices and installation.

The implication is that the Sports Ministry no longer buys new sports equipment leaving the initiative to sports federations, individuals, and corporate entities. Without sports equipment, athletes cannot achieve much.     

Tayo said: “The trend is nobody wants to put money where you cannot see that there is potential for success. We must all work together and create success and let people see that if we follow this trajectory then we can be successful. Sport is big business, but people don’t see the business angle of sport. They only see sports as an entertainment thing. Yes, let businessmen come into sports and support sports.”

“The cost of an approved table tennis board is put at N3 Million while a standard bat is put at N200,000.

“It is a herculean task for players from poor backgrounds to buy bats for themselves. It is stakeholders that buy it for them.We see talented ones and sponsor them till they can be on their own.”

MISPLACED PRIORITY

Before the last Olympics Nigeria’s hope was heavily on Tobi Amusan, the World Athletic Championships and Commonwealth Games gold champion.

When Amusan fell in the final of the 100m hurdles, it was obvious that the expectations of over 200 million people fell with her.

Athletics analyst Olukayode Thomas is of the view that  the federal and state governments are getting their priorities wrong, which is why athletes like Amusan and other sprint stars are not receiving the attention and support they need.

WHY MARATHON?

What is Nigeria’s policy for sport and athletes’ development?

About 10 states in Nigeria have been supporting marathon championships for more than five years now. Lagos MTN and now Access Bank have been organizing  the Lagos Marathon for about 10 years.

Edo, Abuja, Ogun, Rivers State, and other states devote millions of dollars amounting to billions of Naira to marathons every year.

How are our top-class athletes benefiting from the huge resources?

Athletics follower Dapo Idris thinks it is a waste of money.

“We are not a long-distance people. We are a sprints nation, yet we are putting billions of Naira into long-distance tournaments every year. What you see is that Kenyans, Ethiopians, and Tanzanians will come to our country to cart home billions of Naira in cash prizes, while our sprinters are looking for money everywhere. Why are we helping other athletes to do well and ours are groaning for attention? The sprints are our strong point and that is where states and federal governments should put money.

USD 5M TO HOST MARATHON ANNUALLY

An investigation by The Nation shows  that annual sponsorship of marathon races in Nigeria come to  USD 5 million (8.250, 000,000) and 80 percent of it is taken away by foreign athletes.   

Two-time Olympic medalist Enefiok Ubo-Obong isn’t happy that short-distance running (100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m) is no longer a priority of governments and corporate bodies but  marathon and road races.

At present,there are  no fewer than 10 marathon and road races in Nigeria annually and an average budget of  USD 1 million budget. They have  the highest number of sponsorships from public and private corporations in athletics.

Top of  the bill is the  Lagos City Marathon which is going into its 10th year. With combined prize money of USD 500,000, the Lagos State and Access Bank bankrolled competition attracts dozens of other corporate bodies.

It is also a gold-label international marathon recognized by the world ruling body International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Intriguingly, since 2016 when the first race took place, the top three prizes, which have steadily increased from $130,000 to USD 420,000, have been scooped by foreigners, mostly Kenyans and Ethiopians.

In the 2024 edition of the 42km race, Kenyan Bernard Sang, emerged winner to go home with the first prize of $50,000 in the Men’s category. His compatriots  Simon Cheprot and Edwin Kiptoo, came second and third, with cash prizes of $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.

Kebene Chala of Ethiopia won the Women’s event to claim $50,000. Runners from Kenya also won the marathon in 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2021.

The scenario is not different in the other road races in Nigeria.

Okpekpe Road Race in Edo State offers $66,000 prize money and more that goes into the annual competition.

At the latest edition of the road race in May, the top three winners were Kenyans while Ethiopians occupied the fourth to sixth places.

In April, at the Abuja City Half Marathon whose prize money stands at USD 55,000, another Kenyan made away with the USD 5,000 top prize. Shadrack Ngumbau won the 21km race with a time of 1, 07 08 to beat 17-year-old Nigerian Francis James to second place. James was rewarded with $3,000.

Raticm Kenneth of Kenya cashed $2,000 to finish third, while another Nigerian Gyang Emmanuel finished fourth. Cameroon’s Adamu Shehu finished fifth.

In June the USD 100,000 Rivers Marathon title was taken by Gyang Nyango of Nigeria who cashed out with $10,000. Peninah Arusei from Kenya finished tops in the Women’s event to clinch $10,000.

Aside from these elite marathons, there are also the USD 4500 Abeokuta 10km Race, Enugu Coal City Half Marathon, Kaduna International Marathon (USD 200,000), Jos Cross Country Race, the 50km Remo Ultra Road Race (USD 5000) and Onitsha City Marathon (USD 200,000).

The unfortunate reality is that corporate bodies, state and federal governments no longer prioritize sprint events, where Nigeria excels in Africa and produces world-class athletes. Instead, their focus is on long-distance and road races, where we do not have the same competitive edge.

“For all these years that we have been hosting Lagos Marathon, no Nigerian has come close to winning it nor have we put any on the world map. We are simply throwing money away and it must stop. If not Nigeria will continue to be a laughingstock in the Olympics,” Idris said.

WAY TO GO

Dr. Bazuaye said governments, corporate bodies, and stakeholders must work together to rebuild school sports.

“I recently launched my foundation with the goal of building sports facilities for my alma mater, Edo College. I received support from my friends and family members. I am motivated to give back because of the positive impact the school had on me. I encourage other alumni to join forces and undertake similar initiatives to revitalize our schools by reinstating coaches and sports facilities to support budding talents. It is imperative for the government and the sports ministry to take action by implementing and adhering to an effective policy.”

It was not  a triumphant return to the boxing event for  Team Nigeria in Paris 2024 as shoddy preparations, injury and a doping scandal all but bundled out Nigeria’s representatives in the first day of competition. 

The only boxer that actually entered  the ring out of three boxers that qualified for Paris Olaitan Olatoye was eliminated from the heavyweight category after losing 5-0 to Kazakhstan’s Oralbay Aibek in the first round of competition, ending Nigeria’s hopes since claiming bronze in the super heavyweight division in 1996.

Earlier on, Dolapo Omole had to withdraw from the competition due to injury while the only female in the team Cynthia Ogunsemilore was provisionally suspended after failing drugs test.

Ogunsemilore’s travails was more painful as she was poised to atleast put a good performance at the games after winning gold at the African Games in Accra earlier this year and a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, but the 22-year-old tested positive for furosemide, a banned substance that is classed as a diuretic and masking agent.

The out-of-competition sample was collected by the International Testing Agency (ITA) on 25 July on behalf of the International Olympic Committee.

Read Also: On Nigeria’s dismal outing at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The dismal performance in Paris was unexpected as under veteran coach Konyegwachie Nigeria’s performance at the African Games in Ghana earlier this year, team won a record nine gold and one silver medal. 

Rumours later surfaces that the team’s preparations were hampered by infighting within the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF). 

According to sources within the boxing community,  the last minute appointment of Adura Olalehin to lead the team to Paris, replacing veteran coach Anthony Konyegwachie was a major factor in the country poor showing at its first Olympics since Super heavyweight Efe Ajagba represent the country in Rio 2016 games. 

This change of coaches it was said, did not sit well with many within the boxing community, especially as the supposed change was as a result of a fall out between the veteran coach and the Secretary-General Dapo Akinyele.

However for Abdul-Afeez Osoba, it is all water under the bridge now and the NBF should keep their house in order. 

“I don’t think the preparation before the games was that bad,”  the 2019 Africa Games silver medal said. “Olatoye was training hard in the United Kingdom ahead of the tournament and at some point Cynthia and Dolapo were in Germany.” 

“They were also heavily involved at the Africa Games were they won gold medals and also fought in Bangkok, Thailand.

“The tournament is already over for the boxers so the NBF need to look inwards and look into what happened and how to stop it from repeating again.” 

Tajudeen Alabi, a boxing administrator, believes going forward more funding and early camping should be encouraged. He said while he really did not have any hopes of Nigeria winning any medals, Ogunsemilore’s doping case came as a big shock as under coach Konyegwachie, Nigeria had not been involved in a doping scandal. 

He also urged the federation to properly investigate what really happened and anyone found wanting should be adequate punished as to serve as a deterrent against any future occurrence. 

The Technical Director of the NBF, Babatunde Laguda. has called for a complete overhaul of the federation’s leadership and also questioned Adura’s credentials as a coach. 

“We need to change the leadership of the federation and elect in competent people into the board,” he queried. “How can you put a board member to coach the team at an important tournament like the Olympics. Adura was not even a coach, he was the board member representing the South West zone that used his influence to get the coaching job.” 

he added: “There are a lot of competent people who have boxing’s best interest at heart. People like Hon. Omole Imadu, who has been running a nationwide boxing league should be encouraged to take positions on the federation board.”

The United States topped the medals table at the Paris Olympics with 40 golds after the final title was decided on Sunday, finishing above China only by virtue of their 44 silvers.

China, who were the last team apart from the U.S. to top the standings when they did it on home soil at the 2008 Beijing Games, also won 40 golds but managed only 27 silvers.

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The U.S. women’s basketball team secured their country’s pre-eminence by edging host nation France in a breathless finish to win the final gold of the Games. The U.S. also won most total medals with 126 to China’s 91.

France won 16 golds to finish fifth on the table and their total tally of 64 medals was their best for more than a century.

Meanwhile, Paris drew  the curtain on a Summer Games that brought dazzling sport to the heart of the French capital and restored the Olympics’ mojo, handing over the baton to Los Angeles at the Stade de France national stadium.

The ceremony’s star-studded line up signalled  how Los Angeles will hope to lean into one of its key selling points: its multiculturalism and the razzle dazzle of Hollywood.

LA28 had  musicians and native Californians Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snoop Dogg, the U.S. rapper who has been contributing to NBC Primetime’s coverage of the Games at  the closing ceremony.

“This is the biggest moment in LA28 history to date, as the Olympic flag passes from Paris to LA,” LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman said.

• Fraser-Pryce, Osaka on being mom and Olympian

The life of an Olympian is demanding, but throw parenthood into the mix and it becomes a Herculean task. The Olympic Games Paris 2024 hopes to ease the challenges that athlete parents face worldwide by featuring an on-site nursery, the first of its kind, aimed at providing an opportunity to spend more quality time with their children during the Olympics.

This Olympic Village nursery, spearheaded by the American track star Allyson Felix, will support supermums like Clarisse Agbegnenou, Naomi Osaka and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in balancing their podium dreams with parenthood as they tackle the tatami, court and track.

A NURSERY FIT FOR CHAMPIONS

Six-time world champion and reigning Olympic champion judoka Clarisse Agbegnenou is the undisputed queen of her category, -63kgs, both pre-and postpartum. After giving birth to her daughter, Athéna, Agbegnenou quickly returned to the top of her sport, winning a sixth world title just 11 months postpartum. She has taken her daughter all around the world for training camps and competitions, even breastfeeding between training sessions and fights. The French judo champion lives in Paris with her daughter and partner, with the nursery providing a second home for her family as she prepares to defend her title in front of a judo-loving home crowd.

Also competing in French colors in Paris is Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist in basketball, Valériane Vukosavljevic, who has breastfed her daughter, Alani, during competition as well. She told Olympics.com: “During my free time, when I’m not with the team, I can be with my daughter. I can breastfeed her, take care of her, make her eat, make her shower – all the things a mom needs to do. It’s important because she is still very young, and I can’t imagine leaving her alone for such a long time. It’s important for a mom, for her mental health.” Vukosavljevic was pregnant with Alani while playing at the Games in Japan.

Tennis pro Osaka welcomed her daughter, Shai, in July of 2023, one year before she was set to make her second Olympic appearance. Known for her tough serve and equally tough mentality, the four-time Grand Slam champion has always been vocal about the importance of mental health and well-being. She was also outspoken about the importance of such support upon her return to tennis.

“I’m proud of myself for continuing to chase my dreams while also being a mom. And I recognize that I’m fortunate to have the support to return to work this month on my own terms, in my own time. So many American parents don’t have that choice. But we all deserve it,” Osaka shared on social media.

Jamaican track and field legend Fraser-Pryce has consistently defied age and expectations, winning world titles well into her 30s, including two 100m world titles since the birth of her son Zyon in 2017**.** The triple Olympic champion and 10-time world champion now prepares for her fifth Olympic Games – her first Games being able to spend some time with Bryon.

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“Being a mom and an athlete is a balancing act, but I enjoy it,” Fraser-Pryce shared on Instagram, whose nickname ‘Pocket Rocket’ has transformed into ‘Mommy Rocket’.

“Zyon and my husband, my family have been my strength. When everybody else doubted, they never did. And for me, having my son and coming back and performing the way I did… it’s just hoping that I can give inspiration to all the women who are thinking about starting a family or currently starting a family and wondering if they can come back. You can do anything. It’s about who you are and why you started in the first place,” Fraser-Pryce told the BBC.

IOC Athlete Commissioner Felix said: “I just knew how difficult it was to compete at the top level after I had my daughter and some practical things were really hard. And so when I joined the Athletes Commission of the IOC, I really wanted to be that voice for athlete moms and just take away one less thing for them to worry about in the pressure of competition. I think it really tells women that you can choose motherhood and also be at the top of your game and not have to miss a beat.”

The nursery will be located at the heart of the Athlete Village Plaza, and Pampers-brand wipes and diapers will be available for use. It will also provide a sanctuary where athletes can play with and feed their babies away from the hustle and bustle of the Olympic Games.

Ashley Anumba broke into Nigeria’s athletics scene in 2019 at the African Games in Morocco where she narrowly missed a podium finish in  the discus event . Ahead of  her maiden appearance at the Olympic games in Paris, the  University of Virginia Law Student  predicts  her chances  at the Paris 2024 in a conversation with TUNDE LIADI.

For the first time in the annals of Nigeria’s athletics , the country will have three athletes in the discus event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.

In fact, the country’s first Olympics medal prospects in discus will rest  squarely on the trio of Chioma Onyekwere, Obiageri Amaechi and Ashley Anumba.

Already, Onyekwere and Amaechi are household names in the sport by the virtue of their exploits in Africa and other international competitions but Anumba who made her debut for Nigeria at the 2019 African Games in Rabat at 20 is not lagging behind.

The University of Virginia standout thrower started her  ambitious career in 2022 in in Asaba, Delta State,  by  winning the National Sports Festival (NSF) Discus title with a 59.06m throw, which now stands as the NSF record.

She surpassed Vivian Chukwuemeka’s 16-year old record  of 50.74m set in Ijebu Ode and also erased her own former personal  best of 57.53m set in April, 2022.

At the 2023 National Championships in Benin City, she again proved herself, winning the title with a new Personal Best of 61.98m, which helped her garner enough points to qualify for her first global championship at  the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary.

The 2023 National Trials was equally fascinating for her as  she broke the stronghold of African Record holder and Commonwealth champion Chioma Onyekwere who finished second with a distance of 56.94m and Obiageri Amaechi who came third with 55.53m, to win the title.

En route to the African Athletics Championship in Douala, Cameroon in June this year, Ashley had surrendered her national crown  at  the 2024 National Championship in Benin City  as she placed third with a distance of 57.00m behind Onyekwere who threw 59.43m to finish first and Amaechi with her mark of 59.25m was good enough for the second spot.

But the 25-year-old saved the best for last by winning the gold medal at the 2024 African Senior Athletics Championships in Douala with a throw of 59.30m. She pushed Obiageri Amaechi and Onyekwere to the second and third with a distance of 58.80m and 57.93m.

It was her second time of finishing ahead of her two formidable rivals in recent times.

“This journey of mine has not been straightforward, but I am exactly where I wanted to be,” The third-year law student of the University of Virginia said. “The job is not finished, but I am proud of myself.

“It is an amazing feeling. I have been working hard for this and have finally achieved my goal. I am elated.”

Anumba rued her inability to win medal in the two African Games where she finished fourth in 2019 and 2023.

Ahead of   her debut Olympic  appearance in Paris,  she has set a modest target of reaching the final round of the discus event  even as she praised  the decision  of the Ministry of Sports Development , the Nigeria Olympic Committee(NOC)  and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN)  to bring the athletes to Germany.

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“The experiences at the African Games  taught me that I needed  to work harder if I am to go up against the best in the world,” Anumba told NationSport. “I am reminded of the same thing  at every competition.

“ I can’t take anything or anyone for granted as such, I must make sure that I am performing to the best of my abilities

“My goal is to reach the finals in Paris.

“The build-up has been intense. For many of us, the end of the qualification aligned with when we were peaking so making sure we had the best performance in a limited timeframe always increases pressure.

“The camp is great. It’s exactly what we needed to prepare for the Olympics,” she enthused.

The University of Virginia undergraduate said she has blended her studies  with  athletics adequately even though she admitted that she has missed out on many social activities for her to measure  up with her career in discus.

She equally  praised the supportive role her family has played in her career thus far and she equally hailed her performance at the 2024 African Senior Athletics Championships where she won a gold medal despite not throwing her personal best. She defeated Onyekwere and Amaechi to achieve the feat.

“I do my best in both and make efficient use of my time. I am dedicated to both activities but that also means that I miss out on many events, typically social activities with friends,” Anumba continued. “My family has been very supportive of all my endeavours and I would not be able to get this far without their support.

“This competition showed me that anything is possible. It was very difficult leading up to the African Champs.

 “ Despite my performance, not being my best, I was very proud of what I overcame to win.”

The current National Sports Festival record holder opined that having another career switch has never crossed her mind and would love to remain in the two she holds in high esteem if offered the chance to make another choice.

“I’m not so sure. This is all I know and have never  thought of any other thing.

 “I’ve never imagined a life different than the one that I’m living.”

Overall, Anumba expressed her delight at the performance of Team Nigeria with few days to the Olympics and she predicts a good outing for the country in Paris.

“I am very excited to see the teams’ performance because we have been doing very well this year. Multiple medals are within reach,” she added.

Despite having to compete with Onyekwere and Amaechi at the Olympic Games in the same sport, Anumba averred that she won’t be overawed by their presence and that she expects their presence to spur her to do the unimaginable in Paris.

“The way I see it, this is added support. These ladies are my family. They are my sisters. I’m so happy that I’m able to compete with them at the biggest competition in the world. Pressure is not added. It has reduced because I will with them,” she concluded.

The women’s discus throw at the 2024 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held in Paris, France between  August 2^nd  and 5^th  as this will be the 23rd time that the event is being  contested at the Olympics.

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Tunji Popoola, has predicted a podium finish for Nigeria’s female football team, the Super Falcons.

The nine-time African champions are drawn in a tough first-round group that has world champions Spain, Japan, and Brazil.

He said: “We have a strong football, I will tip them for a medal. Also we should expect medals in athletics, weightlifting, and wrestling.

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“We will surprise Nigerians with a bag of medals.”

Expectations are high in track and field with the biggest medal hopes being 100m hurdles world record holder Tobi Amusan and long jumper Ese Brume, who won a bronze medal at the last Tokyo Olympics.

President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, has targeted five medals, but would not give their colours.

Nigeria will be represented by 88 athletes in 12 sports at the Paris Olympics.