What we have with the Ministry are civil servants who take decisions for sports without adequate knowledge of what they manage. Sports management is blighted by lack of competence which in turn drives gross mis-management that affect the federations with the Nigeria Olympic Committee at the apex of the obtuse arrangement. The remnants of Seoul, and athletes who had matured from the American school system, helped. The sports programmes at home were stronger and also had funding, administrations was better than today. Daniel arap Moi, Kenyan President told Egbunike during the medal ceremony, “This Innocent is not innocent”. Back to the calls with Ugbisien, we joked about the $12,000 scholarship he has been owed since the spectacular victory in the 4×400m relay that keep spectators at Kasarani Stadium, outside Nairobi, on their feet.

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It implies that there’s no point in being upset over something that has already happened and cannot be reversed. Those dissipating energy on castigating the performance of the Nigerian contingent at the Olympics should take things easy with themselves. No matter the amplification of public commentary will turn back the hands of time or make the organizers award Nigeria honorary medals. That Nigerians feel disappointed because of the heavy financial investment in the competition is understandable. There is indeed an African saying to the effect that money must be invested in the quest for more money. Meanwhile, as Nigeria reflects on its disappointing performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, there is hope that lessons can be learned for the future.

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Someone once said a foreign coach will never train you to beat his country’s athlete. “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. Before this, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach praised the Paris Games, calling them a showcase of sport at its finest. The Paris 2024 Olympic games came to an end with a closing ceremony held at the Stade de France Stadium on Sunday night of August 11, at the French capital. Ethiopia will top the Olympic medal table for Africa, a supercomputer has predicted, with USA, China and Great Britain pegged to occupy the top three. Zambia, New Zealand, Australia and Nigeria were the four teams eliminated from the Games this week, with world champion Spain, South American champion Brazil and Olympic champion Canada all still standing as the knockout stage prepares to begin.

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One of the most notable performances came from Yemisi Ogunleye, who competed for Germany in the women’s shot put. Ogunleye, born in Germany to a Nigerian father, made history by winning the gold medal in the event. This victory marked Germany’s first gold in the women’s shot put since 1996 and solidified Ogunleye’s place among the world’s elite shot putters. This year’s Olympics saw many stars rising and many old ones dimmed, while many have been forced into retirement.

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Ogunleye proudly identifies with her German heritage while embracing her Nigerian roots. Unfortunately, no Nigerian has claimed gold this year, a stark contrast to the country’s previous Olympic successes. Alfred edged Richardson in 10.84s to 10.89s, qualifying with the fastest time overall and setting up a highly anticipated duel in the final.

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• Onyekwere, Anumba and Amaechi placed 21st, 29th, and 32nd in the overall standings, which knocks them out of qualifying for the next rounds.
• The first individual neutral athlete to medal in the Games was Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya of Belarus, who took silver in women’s trampoline.
• As the world watched, certain countries rose to the forefront, dominating the medal tables and capturing the imagination of sports fans worldwide.
• Fans celebrated his accomplishment after witnessing the highest jump—and jumper—in history.
• These include the rise of women runners, fewer returns on men’s distance events and a need to diversify at a development level to meet the growing competitiveness from rival nations.
• “I have sessions with the presidents of the sports federations because as the minister of sports development, I don’t direct the training of athletes or monitor them.
• Over his four Olympic appearances in the 1980s and ’90s, Lewis won nine gold medals, cementing his status as one of the sport’s greatest athletes.
• SaharaReporters.com is an outstanding, groundbreaking news website that encourages citizen journalists to report ongoing corruption and government malfeasance in Africa.

The first individual neutral athlete to medal in the Games was Viyaleta Bardzilouskaya of Belarus, who took silver in women’s trampoline. She is also the first female coach of an African team to record a win at the Olympics. The first and only coach of an African women’s team to record a win in the Preliminary rounds of the Olympics and an upset win at the Olympics against a top-ranked team, and the first and only female coach to qualify Nigeria for the Olympics.

• They clinched 37 gold medals, 26 silver medals and 35 bronze medals to come second on the medals table.
• Those heaping the blame at the doorsteps of the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh must stop.
• This capped a career that included seven Olympic gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals over three Olympic Games, dating back to Rio 2016.
• Around 9,000 athletes danced and sang throughout the closing ceremony, which was described as a celebration of humanity and the unifying power of sport.
• “Aside from that, funds must be made available for the athletes and also the right facilities.
• The availability of lottery funding gave bite to long term planning, research and training of athletes and officials.
• Her perseverance paid off in Paris, where she secured a historic silver medal.
• “Let’s unite in support of our athletes as they embark on this remarkable journey.

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Omorodion, eligible to play for Nigeria, helped Spain win gold in the men’s football event. Though the outing in Paris marks the eighth time Nigeria will finish the Olympic Games without a medal, analysts contend it is the worst ever, given the number of athletes (88) and sports (12) the country participated in at the Paris Games. Still, the American team was disqualified, and the medals were reallocated in 2012 after the USA team was stripped of the gold medal, making Awazie a gold medallist.

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Twenty-one medals, which comprised eleven Gold, six Silver and four Bronze medals in athletics alone, were historic in that event. In the women’s hammer throw, Annette Echikunwoke, who was born in Ohio to Nigerian parents, won a silver medal for the United States. Echikunwoke’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics further established her reputation as a rising star in field events. Her dedication and hard work paid off, as she stood on the podium representing the United States. Devastated by the news, Echikunwoke shifted her focus to representing the United States.

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Duplantis also caused a global sensation on social media by running to see his wife after setting the world record. Leading the pack, as of Monday, August 5, is France’s Leon Marchand, who has captured an impressive 4 gold, 0 silver, and 1 bronze medals, totalling 5 overall. Kenya’s stars were Faith Kipyegon, with gold in the 1,500 metre event and silver in 5,000 metres, and Beatrice Chebet with gold over both 5,000 metre and 10,000 metre distances. This is a signal to the technocrats in Kenya and Athletics Kenya that there should be a shift in investment and team selection priorities that foregrounds the inclusion and promotion of more women athletes, coaches and decision-makers. Great Britain were assured of a quota in the men’s event when the reigning Olympic champion Tom Pidcock won the gold medal at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow. A full quota of two men and two women was obtained through the final UCI mountain biking Olympic rankings.

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Competing in the Women’s Shot Put F54 category, Rio 2016 GOLD medallist Flora Ugwunwa finished 7th with her best throw of 6.72m. She will return for her main event, the Javelin F54, where she aims to win her third consecutive GOLD medal. Charles Ogundiya, an award winning https://big-bet.org/ journalist believes the country needs to invest more in sports to have different results in Los Angeles. The African champions, against expectations, made it to the quarter-finals in the event, beating world number three and five (Australia and Canada) in the group stage.

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And while some athletes will set world records in Paris, those can be set at other international competitions. Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred delivered a brilliant performance to win the women’s 100 metre gold medal with a national record timing of 10.72 seconds, beating USA’s world champion Sha’Carri Richardson into silver. The Honorable Minister being a witness to the two major events in sports, must be reevaluating and sharpening his plans, along with his formidable managers to x-ray the important areas that need priority in sporting events. With the sensitivity of the Department and daily supervision of the athletes’ anti-doping records, it will be necessary and needful to equip the Department with more computer gadgets to upload and save data for reference purposes. The Paris 2024 Olympics has come and gone and the Nigerian contingent returned without nicking any medal.

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Competitions from 2024 to 2032 would be diarised and aligned to the programmes of the various federations, and budgeted right to the very base of the programmes for different competitions and qualifiers that lead to different engagements. They would audit their post-Olympic assets – athletes, officials, partners, governance issues, and resolve them. Deficits in all areas would be treated and the areas of strengths are enhanced.

Her perseverance paid off in Paris, where she secured a historic silver medal. While her achievement is undoubtedly a cause for celebration, it also serves as a stark reminder of the missed opportunities for Nigeria due to administrative shortcomings. Echikunwoke’s story highlights the complexities faced by athletes with dual citizenship and the crucial role of national sports federations in supporting their athletes. From Africa, Kenya made the continent proud, winning 4 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals to place 17th. Dark horse Botswana shocked the Olympics family when its relatively unknown runner, Letsile Tebego (21), clinched the gold medal in the men’s 200m race and triggered off a public holiday back home with heavy cash rewards and two houses as gifts to boot.

However, Antonio Pettigrew, who admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs, was stripped of his medal. The Olympics are underway in Paris, and there are many exciting events as countries battle for gold, silver, and bronze. This is among many other athletes and sports personnel who have earned one or more medals. Running phenom Noah Lyles narrowly notched the gold in a photo finish to the 100 meters, and Cole Hocker pulled off a stunning upset to give the U.S. a gold in the 1500 meters, coming from behind to beat the two favorites in the field.

French authorities barred female athletes competing for France from wearing the hijab, or Muslim headscarf, during the Games. However, following backlash from athletes and social media users, they were allowed to cover their hair with a cap. The opening ceremony faced severe criticism from the Catholic Church in France, the Middle East Council of Churches, the Vatican, and homophobes in general. They strongly condemned the portrayal of drag queens during a performance set similar to Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, “The Last Supper.” The painting is a famous depiction of Jesus Christ, so various Christian groups viewed the show as disrespectful. The 2024 Olympics started with an opening ceremony held outside a stadium, a historic first at the Olympics.

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Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has already called for Nigerians to throw their weight behind the nation throughout the games. There are several sports – Football, Rugby Sevens, Handball and Archery – running before the Opening Ceremony on Friday. French will be replaced by Germany’s Annika Zillekens, who had announced her retirement after failing to qualify from Saturday’s semi-final. The 40 golds was an all-time high for Games outside China and was achieved despite immense pressure and tightened scrutiny resulting from a doping row involving some of its swimmers.

Muzala Samukonga broke his own 400m national record en route to a first Olympic medal for Zambia since 1996. These victories contribute to the rich sports culture in both countries, encouraging future generations to pursue excellence in athletics. The women’s 4x100m final is set to be star-studded led by America’s Sha’Carri Richardson and defending champions Jamaica who made it without star Shericka Jackson. Uganda has made a significant impact with two medals, comprising one gold and one silver. Omorodion’s success highlights the talent and potential of Nigerian athletes in the diaspora.

Another medalist (silver) from Tokyo, Blessing Oborodudu came close to winning a medal but was hampered by injury. In a statement released on his official X page on Saturday, Sports Minister John Enoh described the team’s performance as disappointing and emphasised the need for reforms to enhance effective leadership in the sports sector. The ceremony wrapped up 17 days of exciting sports action set against famous Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Chateau de Versailles. “Also the issue of quality world-class sporting facilities has always been a challenge for the sports industry in Nigeria. That is why it is hard for Nigeria to get the right to host any big competition like AFCON, World Cup,” he further stated. “I doubt if Team Nigeria have been preparing for the last four years for this Paris Olympics because to only partake in 12 out of 32 sports events is not really good.

“These athletes pay nutritionists, coaches and do all other necessary things. There must be a proper plan and not the fire brigade approach we always adopt. “Aside from that, funds must be made available for the athletes and also the right facilities. For seasoned athletics reporter, Cece Omorogbe, the country would need to do more in the area of preparation and welfare. The Commonwealth and African champion, however, failed to make it to the final, finishing third in the semi-final.

Born from an unwavering commitment to the nation’s progress, we stand as an emblem of independent journalism dedicated to serving the interests of progressive Nigerians from every corner of our diverse and vibrant country. Ikeoluwa Ogungbangbe, with her four-year tenure as a writer, fervently champions early leadership ideals. Her flagship program, “From Seed to Sequoia Initiative,” is a testament to her commitment, where she mentors secondary school students, helping shape their futures. She strongly asserts that genuine, authentic friendships and relationships are the foundational pillars that drive individual and collective success. Guiding young minds, she believes in laying down roots of integrity, passion, and resilience.

In the history of Nigeria’s participation in the Olympics, the relay has always been one of the nation’s strongest Medal hopefuls. For the first time in the history of the relay, the Sports Ministry has five male athletes running 45 sec in 400m and three females running 51 secs. Meanwhile, the Americans have been projected to win for the fourth straight games with 121 medals, including 39 golds, 47 silver and 35 bronze. The sports are athletics, taekwondo, swimming, boxing, table tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, canoeing, cycling, football (women) and basketball (women). The defending gold medallist in the heaviest women’s class did not come close to threatening her own world record of 335kg, but her total of 309kg was more than enough to see off the rest of the field at the Paris Expo.

“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,” he said. Nigeria will be represented by 88 athletes in 12 sports at the Paris Olympics. Nigeria sent 88 athletes to compete in Paris, but the contingent faced numerous challenges, including administrative lapses and poor technical decisions, which contributed to their underwhelming results. Senator Enoh made this known while addressing newsmen at the MKO National Stadium, Abuja Tuesday on his perception of Nigeria’s record-breaking appearance in Accra, Ghana for the 13th edition of African Games. Nigeria recorded a first swimming medal in 33years, as well as a medal in handball in 21 years and coming second in the overall medal’s table.

French Swimmer Leon Marchand won 4 Gold Medals at the Paris Olympics, going a perfect 4-for-4 in his individual events. Marchand was coached by Bob Bowman leading into the Olympics, the same man who helped Michael Phelps win 8 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Bowman takes us into the Olympic Games and shares behind-the-scenes stories of what made Leon’s accomplishment so great in Paris. Only eight nations remain in the 2024 Olympic women’s football tournament after the group stage concluded on Wednesday, with the four teams that will be competing for medals to be known after Saturday’s quarter-finals take place. Rhasidat Adeleke, a 21-year-old European silver medallist, was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland to Nigerian parents, narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal, finishing fourth in the women’s 400m final at Paris 2024 with a time of 49.28 seconds.

Biles took to the platform at the Stade de France to join Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass while musician H.E.R. performed the American national anthem. The performance set the stage for the evening’s most anticipated event when Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance. The gold medalist then passed the flag to Cruise, who rode away on a motorcycle as the Olympics transitioned to Los Angeles.

DAILY POST reports that the sports Team Nigeria will compete in the 2024 Summer Olympic are below average when compared to the total number of featured sports events. Zheng Qinwen, 21, backed up her status as one of the best young talents in women’s tennis by winning the singles gold at Roland Garros after a few hard fought wins, including one against world number one Iga Swiatek. Samu Omorodion, born in Melilla, a Spanish enclave, to Nigerian parents, played a key role in Spain’s victory in the men’s football event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 20-year-old forward, who moved to Seville at a young age, is also eligible to play for Nigeria but chose to represent Spain.

Team Nigeria‘s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics ended in disappointment as the country failed to secure a single medal. Despite significant investments in the team, the 88 athletes across 12 disciplines fell short of the podium, marking the eighth Olympic Games without a medal for Nigeria. Nigeria has abundance of talents and everything it takes to be a key player on the global stage. This is evidenced by the feats recorded by the aforementioned Nigerian athletes who switched their nationalities because of toxic environment and lack of support and motivation. One positive outcome of the post-Sydney probe was the resuscitation of the National Sports Commission (NSC).

Japan’s outstanding performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics built upon the momentum generated from hosting the 2020 Tokyo Games. Japan has made significant strides at the 2024 Paris Olympics, achieving unprecedented success in various sports. The country won 20 gold, 12 silver, and 13 bronze medals, finishing behind only the United States and China on the medal table. Japan’s wrestling team was a major contributor to this success, winning a total of eight gold medals, including four in the men’s Greco-Roman events. Additionally, Japan excelled in artistic gymnastics, fencing, and skateboarding, with Shinnosuke Oka becoming the fourth straight all-around winner in men’s artistic gymnastics.

We must accept this reality in good faith and begin to plan for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. China’s athletes were particularly impressive, winning gold in all categories except for the mixed doubles, where they still secured the top spot​. This victory marks D’Tigress’ first-ever qualification for the Olympic basketball quarter-finals. Nigeria performed brilliantly in the group stage, amassing five classification points and leading the pack, with France set to face Australia later in the day. In a previous report, Legit.ng revealed that Usain Bolt confessed to eating over 1,000 chicken nuggets during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he won two gold medals. The NSC will aggregate our sports assets, manage them with a rolling plan that would integrate the various top global events that culminate in the Olympic Games.

In long jump, Ese Brume and two others qualified for finals, first time by any African country. Despite not winning medals, some athletes ranked among the best in the world. As the host nation of the 2024 Olympics, France delivered a spectacular performance that captivated the home crowd and exceeded expectations. The French team secured fifth place in the overall medal table with a total of 64 medals, comprising 16 gold, 26 silver, and 22 bronze. This marked France’s best Olympic performance in recent history and showcased the country’s strength across a wide range of sports.