Nigeria’s Sport Minister, Senator John Enoh, has lamented the country’s poor performance in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Enoh has described Nigeria’s performance in Paris as disappointing and has promised to make things right to avoid such an embarrassment in subsequent competitions.
Team Nigeria failed to win any medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics as most of the top athletes failed to live up to expectations to record the country’s worst Olympics outing since 2012.
The minister expressed his disappointment on X on Saturday.
He wrote: “Yesterday, I met with gentlemen of the press at the Nigerian Embassy in Paris for a press briefing following the country’s participation in the 2024 Olympics. As we go back home, we must do everything to prevent future occurrences 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.
“The elections for the federations are around the corner, and it will be the perfect platform to get only those who are most eligible to lead the various sports federations.
“Team Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the country did not secure any medals does not entail being addressed just by our participation at the Olympics, but it is a product of very many other things that need immediate attention.”
Enoh also reiterated that the ministry provided all the necessary support for Team Nigeria to succeed in Paris.
He said: “We did everything as a ministry to prepare the athletes adequately and provide them with every financial support, but unfortunately, the performance did not produce any podium finish,”
Enoh concluded by calling for reforms in the elections into the various sports federations in Nigeria to enable the seamless development of sports in the country.
He said: “I am aware that the sports federations elections in Nigeria are even tougher than our national elections. We must set our standards to scrutinise what motivates those vying to run the federations and get only the best hands.
“This call for reform aims to enhance the leadership and effectiveness of Nigeria’s sports federations, paving the way for improved performance on the global stage,”
The next Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
Paris 2024: Nigeria’s Olympics Performance Disappointing – FG is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
