Team Nigeria has yet to secure a medal (Gold, Silver, and Bronze) at the ongoing Paris Olympics Games in France.
The Paris Olympics Games, which commenced on 26 July, is currently on Day 11.
A total of thirty-two (32) sports are being featured in this year’s Olympics.
NewsNow has reported that 87 athletes are proudly representing Nigeria across 12 different sports at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
These sports include badminton, canoeing, cycling, women’s football, women’s basketball, athletics, taekwondo, swimming, boxing, table tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.
During the past weekend, Nigeria’s aspirations to have an athlete in the 100m men’s final at the Paris Olympics faded as Favour Ashe and Kayinsola Ajayi failed to qualify from their respective semi-final races.
D’Tigress is set to challenge the Olympics women’s basketball champions, the United States of America, in the quarter-finals after their victory over Canada on Sunday.
On Monday, Nigeria’s Blessing Oborududu missed out on a spot in the final of the women’s wrestling (68kg) after being defeated by Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanazarova.
However, Favour Ofili, who was unable to participate in the women’s 100m due to registration issues by officials of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), qualified for the final of the women’s 200m, finishing second with a season’s best time of 22.05s.
Last Wednesday, the Super Falcons were eliminated from the women’s football event after losses in all three matches against Brazil, Spain, and Japan.
Concerning the reasons behind Team Nigeria’s subpar performance and the absence of medals, Saheed Afolabi, employed at Clear TV and speaking to NewsNow, mentioned: “Team Nigeria is facing tough competition from elite athletes worldwide, highlighting the importance of adequate pre-Olympics preparation.”
“It’s crucial to assess the training camps provided for Team Nigeria by the Ministry of Sports and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to ensure peak performance at the Olympics.”
To enhance Nigeria’s future performance, Afolabi emphasized the necessity for better support and preparation for Nigerian athletes, emphasizing the significant status of the Olympics as a top-tier competition.
Commenting on the prospect of Nigeria winning a medal, Afolabi expressed hope in athletes like Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume potentially securing medals and bringing pride to Nigerians.
He further highlighted the success story of lesser-known nations like Saint Lucia winning gold in women’s 100m, stressing the correlation between investment in sports and achievement at international events.
Reflecting on the post-Olympics period, Afolabi urged a shift in approach from sports authorities towards sustaining long-term support and development for athletes in Nigeria.