Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan-Enoh, has expressed disappointment with Nigeria’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, admitting that he expected the team to win several medals. Despite sending 88 athletes to compete, Nigeria failed to secure a single medal, falling short of the minister’s projections.
Enoh attributed the poor performance to the leadership of the various sports federations, stating that they had assured him of medal wins based on their projections. He emphasized that as minister, he doesn’t have direct control over athlete selection or training, relying on the federations to make decisions.
READ MORE: Ajax coach Francesco Farioli says One Super Eagles player is ‘priceless’
Enoh had previously boasted that Team Nigeria would surpass its best Olympic record, achieved at the Atlanta 1996 Games. However, the team faced numerous challenges, including administrative lapses and poor technical decisions, contributing to their underwhelming results.
Despite a significant budget of ₦12bn approved for the Olympics and Paralympics, Nigeria’s performance did not meet expectations. Enoh’s comments have sparked debate about the role of the sports minister and the federations in ensuring success at international competition.
Nigeria reflects on its Olympic performance and the focus now shifts to the future. Enoh’s comments highlight the need for improved collaboration between the sports ministry and federations to ensure better outcomes. With the next Olympics on the horizon, Nigeria must regroup and reassess its strategy to achieve success on the global stage.
