Nigeria, Tokyo Olympics and the Grouse of Dissatisfactions

Nigeria is apparently not strange to Olympic competition, infact Nigeria has only missed sending a team to just one edition of the Games [1976] since its first participation in 1952 and in that time the NOC has had a number of memorable Olympic moments. Lest, the country has not only been participating, but competing well in the games. One cannot forget, one of the high points for Nigeria was at the 1996 Games in Atlanta when the men's football team won gold, beating Argentina 3-2 in the final thanks to a 90th-minute goal by Emanuel Amunike. The Nigerian team would go close to repeating this result at the Beijing 2008 Games, but fell 1-0 to Argentina in the final.

Also, in addition to that football gold, according to the Olympic website, a Nigerian athlete won the NOC's first individual gold medal at the 1996 Games. Chioma Ajunwa took the women's long jump title with a jump of 7.12m on her first leap of the final. With six total medals, the 1996 Games was Nigeria's most successful Games, but it did not take long for the NOC to win another gold. At the 2000 Games, the men's 4x400m relay team ran second behind the United States of America, but two members of the US gold medal-winning squad were later disqualified for doping offences, and Nigeria was awarded the title. One member of the gold medal-winning 2000 team, Enefiok Udo-Obong, went on to run in the 2004 squad that took bronze.

Again, two Nigerian athletes have matched Enefiok Udo-Obong's tally of two Olympic medals. 400m runner Falilat Ogunkoya won a bronze in the women's individual event and a silver in the 4x400m relay at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, and sprinter Mary Onyali won two bronze medals, one in the women's 4x100m relay in 1992 and one in the individual 200m in 1996. At the Rio 2016 Games, Nigeria won bronze in men's football to claim the NOC's first podium finish since 2008. The Nigerian team were beaten 2-0 in the semifinals by Germany but regrouped to beat Honduras 3-2 in the bronze playoff. Today, we also participated in the recently concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and also did returned home with identifiable medals. However it was a tail of cauterwauls and angsts.

First, Nigeria was represented by 60 athletes across competitions like athletics, table tennis, wrestling, basketball, canoe sprint, gymnastics, rowing, and taekwondo. Promising hopeful medalists comprising of newbies and oldbies with the potential of winning medals in the various competitions. And then whimp, on the 28th of July 2021, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced that Nigeria had failed to meet the minimum drug testing requirements as per "Rule 15", which requires at least three no-notice outside of competition blood and urine drug tests no less than three weeks apart for 10 of their athletes. As such, all 10 athletes were disqualified from participating in their events. The ten Nigerian athletes of which were among 18 competitors from “high-risk” nations who have been barred from the Tokyo Olympics after failing to meet requirements for out-of-competition drug testing, World Athletics’ independent anti-doping arm. There again, on the on 31st July 2021, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced that Blessing Okagbare was provisionally suspended following a positive doping test for Human Growth Hormone from a sample collected outside of competition on 19 July 2021.

Imagine, when a top Nigerian sprinter, like Blessing Okagbare having won her heat race was meant to compete in the women’s 100 metres semi-finals on Saturday but that is no longer the case as she missed the remainder of the Olympics. Therein, in-between 60 athletes that was meant to participate, and 11 participants that were disqualified, the outcome came out this shamefully in a usual familiar ending. It was all the consolatory victory as Ese Brume’s got the bronze for the country in the long jump while Blessing Oborududu’s silver in wrestling, Team Nigeria turned out jaded performances at the Games, which opened on July 23 in the Japanese capital and closed on August 8. Esoterically, one can say the country bettered its performance in Rio 2016, after finishing a joint 74th with Jordan and Malaysia in the medals’ table. Actually, it was a mess. Hence, there's a need to make a review of what happened in Tokyo, the performances and the supposed expectations.

Let's start from Table tennis, as expected all eyes were on Aruna Quadri, as he has undoubtedly lifted Nigerian table tennis to heights unknown to us in recent years. Evidently, before Olympic, he was ranked 21st, standing as a surest chance for a sliver medal. There was also this young protégé in Olajide Omotayo, yes, he was also ranked 94th before the Olympics. True, for the female counterpart, the ladies also went into the Olympics with the ageless and seven time Olympian, Funke Oshonaike, and also promising Offiong Edem.

Albeit after Olympic, we obviously entered four athletes into the table tennis competition at the Games. Yes, Olajide Omotayo, along with Olympic veterans Offiong Edem and Olufunke Oshonaike, scored a semifinal victories to occupy the available spots each in the men's and women's singles, respectively, at the 2020 African Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tunis, Tunisia. For Oshonaike, she set a historic record by becoming the first ever African woman to participate in seven editions of the Summer Olympic Games, but she was obviously disqualified at this first round of the competition. Aruna lost to Tsuboi from Brazil, Olajide lost to Apolonia from Portugal, Offiong won against Madarasz from hungary in the first round and lost to Zhang of Usa in the second round, and for Oshainake lost very early at the prelimary. Table tennis is due a medal for Nigeria in the Olympics, but you know, circumstances failed them again.

Another is Taekwondo, as one of the five sports that have given Nigeria medals at the Olympics, a lot can be expected from the sport. However the evolution trajectory has not been impressive since we won the bronze in 2008. We have struggled to even qualify any athlete for the Games. In Tokyo, coached by famous Chika Chukwumerije, Nigeria was represented by Anyanacho Elizabeth Oluchi in the 67kg class. Nigeria entered one athlete into the taekwondo competition at the Games for the first time since London 2012. Elizabeth Anyanacho secured a spot in the women's welterweight category (67 kg) with a top two finish at the 2020 African Qualification Tournament in Rabat, Morocco. However, she was up against 4th ranked Turkish competitor Tatar Nur, and lost 7-12 in the round of 16.

Before the olympic, Ese Brume and Tobi Amusan ranked 2nd and 7th respectively in the Long Jump and 100m hurdles were Nigeria's brightest propects for individual medals in track & field in Tokyo for the women. Divine Oduduru was a potential before the olympic, he had had great performances in different competitions, most especially in the US. In the field events, Nigeria also went with her most talented set of throwers ever to the Games. Chioma Onyekwere has been in the best form of her life this year, throwing 63.30 meters in the Discus throw event. That would have placed her fifth in the last Olympics. She went with a great expectation. Even more impressive was Annette Echikunwoke, the Hammer thrower whose 75.49 meters thrown this season would have earned her a bronze medal in the last Olympic Games. The National record holder in my opinion is our brightest Olympic medal hopeful.

Howbeit after Olympic, It's not sad to say that athletes further achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event). Enoch Adegoke had personal best of 9.98 at the round 1, and pushed forward till the semi finals where injury wasn't pleasant to him. Usheoritse itsekiri and Divine Oduduru also didn't go pass the semi finals. Blessing Okagbare was well, but was suspended, Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha had a personal best of 11.00 at the 100m first round, 22.47 and 22.47 personal best at 200m round 1 and semi finals respectively, yet didn't reach the finals. Patience Okon George dd not advance at the 400m, Tobi Amusan also didn't advance at the100 m hurdles. Again, Oluwatobiloba Amusan, Ese Brume, Patience Okon George and Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha failed to meet expectations at the 4 × 100 m relay. Hence, Ese Brume got Nigeria the only medal in the track and field event, at the Women's long jump, covering 6.97.

The Male and Female Basketball team went into the Olympics with all potential. The victory of D'Tigers over the USA recently changed Nigerians' perspective of their basketball team. Everyone started to believe in the team. The defeat of USA was followed by victory over another powerhouse and world number 4 team Argentina. Suddenly, the basketball team felt like the Dream Team. However, the Australians whom we play first in Tokyo brought us back to a reality check with a crushing defeat in our third friendly last week. That defeat could be seen as a blessing in disguise as the weight of expectations would have been too much for Coach Brown and his boys. A team dominated by NBA players, Caleb Agada, Ekpe Udoh, Nnamdi Vincent, Chikeze Okpala, Ike Ireogbu and others. Today, it's another story entirely, as the Nigerian team refused to live up to the expectations they promised.

The D'tigers lost to Australian 65 to 84, and again to German 92 to 99, and then to Italy 71 to 84 and couldn't even proceed to the Quarterfinals. The D'tigress also lost to USA 72 to 81, to France, 62 to 87, to Japan, 83 to 102, as they couldn't also proceed to the quarter finals. Furthermore, at the Canoeing, Emmanuel Ayomide Bello was our flagbearer in the competition. Obviously, Ayomide has grown in leaps and bounds in the canoe sprints (C-1 200m) and canoe slalom events winning Gold in the African Youth Games and All African Games. However, she did her little best by ranking 3 at the Quarterfinals but couldn't proceed to the finals.

At the Olympics gymnastics, Nigeria presented her first ever Olympic gymnast through American-born Uche Eke. The promising lad had won Gold in the All African Games and was set to be a strong contender in the Olympics. Obviously, we entered one artistic gymnast into the Olympic competition. However, ranked 58, Uche couldn't advance to the final round. For Rowing, Esther Tamaraebi Toko was the Nigeria' s flag bearer in rowing, as she won bronze and silver medals at the 2019 African Beach Games which made her qualified to row single sculls at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Esther's best at the Women's single's sculls wasn't enough to give Nigeria a medal at the competition.

In Swimming that boasts of about 111 medals, Nigeria was only represented by a 17-year-old Abiola Ogunbawo, as we received a Nigeria received a universality invitation from FINA to send a top-ranked female swimmer in her respective individual events to the Olympics, based on the FINA Points System of June 28, 2021. Howbeit, Abiola couldn't go pass the heat round, at the 100m freestyle. Also, Nigeria entered three badminton players for each of the following events into the Olympic tournament. Godwin Olofua and Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori (men's doubles), with Dorcas Ajoke Adesokan on the women's side, topped the field of badminton players from Africa to lock the places on the Nigerian squad in their respective events based on the BWF Race to Tokyo Rankings. They all didn't meet the expectations of getting the country a medal. Wrestling also didn't go as planned, Odunayo Adekuoroye didn't get her way through the usual medals, but Blessing Oburududu found her way into the medal table winning Sliver in the Women's freestyle 68kg.

Without bias, Nigerians are proud of all the participants that represented the country at the just concluded Olympic 2020 games. Nigerians knows and watched the effort of every participants from the ones who were disqualified to the other who didn't get a medal. Nigerians knows they are not just lucky enough, it was caused by circumstances that were beyond their control. Hence, having espied how the Athletics Integrity Unit banned 10 of its 23 athletes for missing the three mandatory out-of-competition tests in the run-up to Tokyo, and In all, how AIU banned 20 of such laggards globally, but Nigeria accounted for half. Nigerians want to ask the question of what the Ministry of Sports did before Olympic? What the Olympic committee did before and after this incidence? Nigerians demand the reason for this international disgrace.

Nigerians deserve also deserve to know the reason why our favourite athlete and medal hopeful, Blessing Okagbare, was suspended? Nigerians deserve to know the reason why a veteran like her would fail a dope test? Nigerians deserve to know who planted the growth hormone in her which was founded in the sample she submitted on July 19, four days to the Games, they deserve to know?

Nigerians need to know the reason for the public abjections, dissipations crude politics, confusion, half-truths and egotistic games between the ministry and AFN. Nigerians need to know why a nation comprising of over 200 million people will produce two medals? Nigerians needs to know what happened with the Puma deal? Of the deal that went through between the AFN and $2.7 million endorsement deal. They need to know why Nigerian athletes wore different kits in Tokyo? Why Chukwuebuka Enekwechi washed his only jersey for the men’s shotput finals because there were no kits? Nigerians need to know the reason why our participants wore mixed their kits from different manufacturers. Nigerians need to know the reason for the unreasonable embarrassment?

Yes, from the Punch editorial of 9th of August 2021, i will join the editor in echoing the questions of doubts, of why Nigeria, with a 211 million population, presented 60 athletes and got two medals for its troubles, including 11 suspensions for dope-related offences. Sorely absent is a concrete plan. For example, what is the budget needed? How will it be sourced when the budgetary provision for the year is nowhere near the required amount? How do you ensure that training programmes, testing and qualification standards are met in time for the assignment in Birmingham (England)?

Yes, on the part of the hardworking and lucky participants, it was a galore of victory as they recorded individual bests. Nigeria got a bronze medal in long jump 25 years after Chioma Ajunwa got gold at Atlanta 96. We also bagged two medals, a silver and a bronze, placing her 74th overall out of 205 countries at the Tokyo Olympics and 8th in Africa. 21-year-old Enoch Adegoke also became the third Nigerian to get to the finals of the 100 metres men’s event. Nigeria won a silver medal for wrestling.Nigerian Olympians set new personal best records in athletics. We also reached the final of the shot put for the first time in history. Nigerian Olympians made a record of five finals at the Tokyo Olympics.. Nigeria performed better at the Tokyo 2020 when compared with London 2012 with zero medal and the Rio 2016 with bronze medal. The participants did well?

To the Ministry of sports and others in the affairs of Olympic affairs, maybe Nigerians won't advise them anymore to go back to the drawing board, but maybe they should account for how money budgeted for Olympic was spent. Maybe they need to answer the questions Nigerians wants to know. Finally, the next Olympic comes in another years, i just hope all our puzzles are solved before then.