LA 2028 Olympic games: Let preparations start now
Dr. Salau Dee Elf (NUGA Publicity Liaison Officer 1993-2001)
By now, it’s crystal clear that hardly can Team Nigeria to the 2024 Paris Olympic
Games titled ‘Can Nigeria improve on the Medals Table’ is a figurative question that seeks no answer from nobody but the Nigerian Contingent. Honestly, it’s only the competing athletes and their officials that can answer the question. By now, it’s crystal clear that hardly can Team Nigeria to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games improve on the highest medals record set by the 1994 Atlanta Olympic Team.
The main issue about our medal winning performance has to do with Nigeria’s preparation towards the Olympic Games. Winning medals in the Olympic Games takes good preparations that start immediately the ongoing Olympic Games are closed. So it’s a four-year pre-planned and well-coordinated programme.
The Country’s sports ministry, the sports Associations and the Nigerian Olympic Committee always wait too long before starting preparations for the Olympic Games. The preparations are also sloppy with athletes complaining bitterly over their bad experiences. They are poorly supported or supported at all leading to many of the athletes changing their allegiance to other countries that can take proper care of them.
This poor fire brigade approach has been the order of the day in recent Olympic Games Nigeria has attended. The era when progressive planning and preparations of athletes towards Olympic Games stopped with the likes of Olapade Adenekan, Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya and many others.
Hugely, Sportsmen and women were discovered at youth competitions like the School Sports Federation, the Nigerian Polytechnic Games and the Nigerian University Games. Athletes discovered from these Games were carefully nurtured to compete progressively in different sporting events.
Nigeria needs to return to youths and Collegiate Sports to get the raw talents within and outside Nigeria. The talents should be properly groomed from now on towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games in the USA.
If Nigeria is to have a good outing in 2028, the process should start right now. Funds for competitions in the aforementioned should be released early. Talents discovered from the youth competitions should be properly developed towards the next National, International and Olympic Games.
Never should we allow our Sports men and women train themselves
Never should we allow Officials refuse to provide training grants and materials to our sportsmen and women for preparations towards competitions. The Ministry of Sports must follow through all the development programmes for the athletes with release of funds for exposure through attendance of friendly and qualifying matches and events. These and other steps must be undertaking to ensure guaranteed medals in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Dr Salau Dee Elf writes from Lagos at [email protected]
