Team Nigeria ended their campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games without a medal after Hannah Reuben lost her Women’s Freestyle 76kg fight 5-2 to Enkh-Amaryn Davaanasan of Mongolia in the round of 16 tie yesterday.
Despite spending over N12 billion tax payer money to compete in 12 sporting events with 88 athletes at the Paris Games, Team Nigeria will return home without a single medal just like Seoul 1988 and London 2012 Games.
President Bola Tinubu had approved N12 billion for Nigeria’s participation at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Nigeria’s woeful outing at the Paris Games were before now replicated at the Seoul 1988 and London 2012 Games where the country won no medal respectively.
The minister of sports development, Senator John Enoh, described the Team Nigeria’s performances as a disaster and vowed to prevent future occurrences.
“As we go back home we must do everything to prevent future occurrence of the Paris disaster and if this will entail the review of how people are elected to lead our sporting Federations, it will be done,” Enoh stated
Emphasizing the importance of upcoming federations’ elections, Senator Enoh added, “I know that elections into the Federations are coming and it will be the perfect platform to get only those who have something to offer to lead the various sports.”
The minister in a press statement by his SA media, Diana -Mary Nsan, called for reform aims at enhancing the leadership and effectiveness of Nigeria’s sports federations that will pave way for improved performance on the global events.
The minister however forgot that it is not federations or associations that will drive sports development at grassroots level, primary, high school and tertiary institutions levels.
Preparation for major championships and games is now old fashion, no serious country prepare for games and championships today. What they do is to provide enabling environments that give their youth massive opportunities. This what America and other serious countries does.
After 12 months as the minister of sports development, John Enoh should stop talking like a novice in sports industry and be on top of his game.
