The United States (US) maintained its global sports dominance when it led the medals table with 126 medals (40gold, 44 silver and 42 bronze) at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was quickly followed by China with 91 medals (40 gold, 27silver and 24 bronze). Britain came third with 65 medals (14gold, 22 silver and 29 bronze). The host, France; Australia, Japan and Italy took the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th spots. Out of the 206 countries that participated in the Olympics 84 won medals.
Of the 12 African countries that won medals, none featured among the top 10 best performers in the games. Kenya got 11 medals (4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze); Algeria won 3 medals (2 gold and one bronze); while South Africa clinched one gold medal, three silver and one bronze. Other African countries that won medals were Ethiopia, Egypt, Tunisia, Botswana, Uganda, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde and Zambia.
Despite spending billions of naira, parading 88 athletes and participating in 12 sports, Team Nigeria could not win even a bronze medal. It was the worst outing for the country since London 2012.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) should be blamed for the country’s dismal performance in Paris. It displayed glaring incompetence by failing to submit Favour Ofili’s name, one of the country’s medal hopefuls, to the International Olympic Committee after she met the Olympic qualifying standard at the recent Nigerian Trials held in Benin City. A similar dereliction of duty by the AFN four years ago at the Tokyo Olympic led to the Nigerian athlete, Anette Echikunwoke, and others, being barred from competing in Tokyo. She subsequently changed her nationality to the US, and won a silver medal in javelin for her adopted country in Paris.
Although the Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, apologised for poor outing, there is need to investigate the AFN and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for their roles in this national embarrassment. It is unbelievable that the giant of Africa with over 200 million people could not win a medal in Paris. The failure epitomizes the monumental failure in all sectors in the home front. Nations use sports to show their global prowess and supremacy. The fierce competition between US and China illustrates this assertion.
Amid the gloom, twelve athletes of Nigerian heritage competing for other countries won different medals. Among them were Eberechukwu Agbaphonwu (now Salwa Nasser), who switched nationality to Bahrain in 2014, and won a silver medal in women’s 400 meters. Yemisi Ogunlewe also won a gold medal in short put for Germany. This clearly shows that Nigeria does not lack talents. The problem with sports in Nigeria is bad administration. Nigeria does not nurture talents in sports. The country does not invest so much in training of our sports men and women.
We do not adequately prepare for the Olympics. With our usual ad hoc or fire brigade approach to continental and global sporting events, we will always perform abysmally. No amount of fasting and prayer will salvage the situation but hard work. As long as we don’t treat our athletes with dignity and necessary support, we will continue to lose them to other countries.
Beyond the Paris Olympics, we should focus on the next Olympics in Los Angeles, US, in 2028. This is the time to commence its preparations. Let us focus on games we have comparative advantage. We must go to US with our best eleven. It is surprising that Nigerians don’t participate in climbing and shooting games. It is sad that we do not excel in swimming. The tiny island of St Lucia, which produced the gold medalist, Julian Alfred, in women 100 meters, created a budget for her to ensure she put the country on the global map. Paris Olympics has shown that investments in sports matter. Countries that have a solid roadmap and incentives for their athletes always perform better.
The AFN should not rely so much on student athletes in American universities for Olympic medals. The AFN should harness the abundant talents in our secondary schools and universities and expose them to international trainings and equipment needed to soar. Like the Kenyans and Ethiopians have done over the years, it must find a niche to concentrate for medals. Poor management, petty politics and poverty of ideas, which have been the bane of the AFN, must be addressed to avoid a similar embarrassing spectacle in the future. President Bola Tinubu should immediately overhaul the ministry of sports and related agencies and bodies. They all have failed the country. Let heads roll in all of them.