As the dust settles on the Paris 2024 Olympics, the story of the Games for Nigeria is a bittersweet one. On one hand, athletes of Nigerian descent representing other nations have shone brightly. On the other hand, Nigeria’s official contingent has faced a disappointing reality, returning home empty-handed despite high hopes.
Athletes of Nigerian descent competing for countries like the United States, Germany, Spain, and France have emerged as standout performers. Their success has not only highlighted their talent but also sparked a conversation about the state of Nigerian sports.
One of the most notable stars of the Games was Annette Nneka Echikunwoke, who won a silver medal in the Hammer Throw for the United States. Echikunwoke represented Nigeria at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 but faced a last-minute disqualification due to a failure by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria to complete mandatory doping tests. Disillusioned, Echikunwoke switched allegiance to the United States, where she found the support needed to achieve her Olympic dream. In Paris, she competed with renewed determination, and now she has become the first American woman to win a medal in Hammer Throw.
Another athlete who has captured the world’s attention is Antoinette Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu who got a silver medal not for Nigeria, but for Bahrain. Just like Annette, she changed her nationality. But in her case, she not only abandoned Nigeria, but she also changed her name to Salwa Eid Naser to identify fully with her chosen country and new religion.
Joining the medal tally was Yemisi Ogunleye who ended a 28-year gold drought for Germany in the shot put; Victoria Ohuruogu who secured a bronze medal in the women’s 4x400m relay for Great Britain; and Femi Adebayo who was part of the American men’s basketball team that took home a gold medal.
In football, Samu Omorodion, a Nigerian-born forward, played a key role in Spain’s gold-winning men’s football team, while the French men’s football and volleyball teams featured Nigerian-descended players like Michael Olise and Barthélémy Chinenyeze, who contributed to their respective teams’ silver and gold medals.
Rounding out this impressive group was Rasheedat Adeleke, Ireland’s fastest female athlete, who competed in the 4×400m women’s relay. Although her team finished fourth, she is one of Ireland’s top athletes with a national record in 60m, 100m, 200m, 300m and 400m.
While athletes of Nigerian descent basked in their Olympic success, Team Nigeria’s performance in Paris was a different story. Despite sending a team of 88 athletes across 12 sports, Nigeria failed to secure a single medal.
Despite high expectations, particularly in sprints and hurdles, Nigerian athletes fell short of the podium. Key athletes like Tobi Amusan, who was aiming to defend her world record, disappointed Nigerians. In football, the Super Falcons were eliminated in the group stage. Nigerian representatives in boxing, canoeing, cycling, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling also struggled to make a significant impact, with few advancing to the later stages of their events.
Yet, there were some bright spots. The women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, reached the quarterfinals, marking an unprecedented achievement for an African team. Their coach, Rana Wakama, 32, was named the Best Female Basketball Coach at the 2024 Olympics by the International Basketball Federation. Samuel Ogazi also made history by reaching the 400m Olympics final, the first Nigerian to do so in 36 years, though he finished seventh.
The performance gap between Nigerian-descent athletes and the Nigerian team has sparked questions about the government’s commitment to sports development
Sports Minister John Enoh has acknowledged that Nigeria’s performance fell short of expectations. According to him, “the underwhelming performance of our team is puzzling.”
He explained that upon assuming office in August 2023, he was shocked to learn that preparations for the Games had not yet started. Despite this, he implemented various measures to support athletes and coaches.
The Minister expressed his commitment to turning this disappointment into a catalyst for positive change in Nigerian sports. “We have swung into a review process. We shall evaluate the competition readiness of every athlete comprehensively, including their injury and medical history within the limits of patient confidentiality. The role of coaches and administrative staff will also be examined,” he said.
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