By Dianabasi Effiong
The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) says it shares the disappointment of millions of Nigerians over the failure of Team Nigeria to achieve the expected podium finish at the just concluded Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Tony Nezianya, the NOC’s Public Relations Officer, made this known in a statement obtained by Pillar Sports on Wednesday.
The statement added that Habu Gumel, the President of the NOC, had noted the demonstration of exceptional dedication of Nigerian athletes at the Paris Games, but could not make the podium finish
The statement also commended the Grand Patron of the NOC, President Bola Tinubu, and the Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan-Enoh, for their selfless efforts and support for the participation of Team Nigeria in the Olympics.
He said that 87 athletes in 12 sports were symbolically handed over to the NOC for the game, which was held between July 26 and August 11.
The statement added that eight of the athletes earned placement Diplomas for their performances in spite of the zero medal haul.
The NOC also celebrated Nigeria’s female basketball team, D’Tigress, for their rare feat of being the first African team, either male or female in basketball categories, to reach the quarter-finals of their event at the Olympic Games.
“Within the Olympic Movement, we share in this disappointment as Nigerians, and we are committed to taking decisive action to address the underlying issues that have contributed to this sub-par performance in collaboration with other stakeholders.
“Witnessing our fellow African nations like Botswana achieve historic milestones at these Games underscores the importance of long-term strategic development for our athletes.
“Despite the overall below-par- performance, our basketball team, D’Tigress, displayed remarkable resilience and determination by advancing in the tournament and defeating Australia and Canada.
“However, unfortunately, many noteworthy stars in our Olympic team could not excel in their various sports, including the World record holder, Tobi Amusan, in the women’s100-metres hurdle,” Gumel said.
He also said that given the setback, there must be an analysis of the root causes of the shortcomings to revisit the fundamental principles.
Gumel called for a strong collaboration and a clear understanding of the role of the Olympic family, partners, and government.
The NOC recommended timely funding and, continuous engagement with athletes, coaches, and sports administrators as a condition for securing podium success at the Olympic Games
He said Sports Federations should be empowered to consistently prepare athletes, conduct training sessions, and organise qualification events that nurture sporting talents to enable them to finish strong at the world stage.
Gumel said on its part, the NOC had consistently provided scholarships, grants, coaching, and refereeing courses through the International Olympic Committee, Olympic Solidarity, and ANOCA sources for Nigerian athletes and administrators
It also ensured the participation of the National teams in major sporting tournaments such as the Commonwealth Games, the African Games, the Youth Games, the World Championships, and others which are crucial to the preparations for the Olympic Games.
“We advocate for early preparation and adequate funding as the critical solution and call on the government to implement a comprehensive sports-related concept that targets grassroots development programmes in schools and colleges.
“We also recommend that we kick start preparations for the next Olympics promptly, with the cooperation of all stakeholders, the government, and notably the private sector, to achieve podium success at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
“We wish to reassure everyone that the setbacks of the past will not be repeated as we adhere to the Olympic Movement and the Charter for the betterment of the nation,“ Gumel said.
