By Azuka Onwuka
Nigeria’s disastrous outing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris proved again the hopelessness of banking on an individual to save a nation. The moment Tobi Amusan failed to qualify for the finals of the 100-metre hurdles on Friday, the hopes of millions of Nigerians were dashed.
Before the Olympics, Amusan held the world record of 12.12 seconds in 100-metre hurdles, which she secured in July 2022 at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America. She had shocked the world with her performance at that event, shattering the previous record of 12.20 seconds set in 2016 by American Kendra Harrison. Even when some Americans tried to belittle her performance with all kinds of excuses and explanations, Nigerians descended on them on social media.
A month after, at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Amusan successfully defended her title as the Commonwealth Games champion in 100-metre hurdles, setting a new Games record of 12.30 seconds. In September of that same year, she set a record at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Zurich, while coming first for the third consecutive year.
At the All-Africa Games 2023, held in Ghana in March 2024, Amusan had made a false start, which should have attracted a disqualification, but somehow the referee issued her a caution and let her off the hook. She eventually won the race, which made it her third consecutive win.
Therefore, there were grounds to show that she could win a medal at the Olympics. All Nigerians placed their hopes of an Olympic medal on her.
Ironically, there was no Nigerian in the finals of all the track and field events that Nigeria was known for. These include races like 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres for men and women, including the relays. The same goes for long jump in which Nigeria won her first Olympic gold medal through Chioma Ajunwa in 1996 and high jump in which Nigeria won her first gold medal through Emmanuel Ifeajuna at the 1954 Vancouver Commonwealth Games. That 1954 gold medal by Ifeajuna was the first major international sports competition won by a Black African. At the Paris Olympics, boxing and wrestling, in which Nigeria used to excel, also drew blank. Nothing also came from football through which Nigeria won her second Olympic gołd in 1996.
Conversely, countries like Botswana, St. Lucia, Zimbabwe, China, and Italy, which were not doing as well as Nigeria in sprints, featured in the sprints prominently. St Lucia even won the 100-metre female race, while Botswana won the 200-metre race for men. Ironically, Nigerian-born athletes, who were representing other countries, were winning medals for their adopted countries while Nigeria came back medal-less.
Something similar had happened at the 2016 Olympics. That year, every Nigerian banked on Blessing Okagbare to give Nigerian a medal like silver or gold. When she failed, it was heartbreaking for Nigerians. The only consolation was a bronze medal eventually won by the men’s football team.
I did a dipstick survey on the participation of Nigerians in sports for other countries from 1980 to the present. It became apparent that the number of Nigerians representing other countries skyrocketed in the last ten years, and it is rising by the day. In the 1980s and 90s, it was hard to find a final of 100 metres, 200 metres or 400 metres singles or relays that would not feature at least one Nigerian. It was the era of Chidi Imoh, Innocent Egbunike, Falilat Ogunkoya, Chioma Ajunwa, Mary Onyali, Davidson Ezinwa, Osmond Ezinwa (Ezinwa twins), Beatrice Utondu, Christy Opara-Thompson, Faith Idehen, Sunday Bada, Enefiok Udo-Obong, Olabisi Afolabi, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara, Olapade Adeniken, Gloria Alozie, Fidelis Gadzama, etc. The same thing was obtainable in boxing, long jump, wrestling, etc.
In Africa, we were the best in sprints, boxing, table tennis, etc. In the world, Jamaica was not as good as we were in short-distance races. Only the United States of America had a combined sprint team that was better than ours. We might not come first, but we had so many top-rated athletes in sprints that our relay team was always a threat to the USA. In Africa, we regularly held the record of the fastest man and woman. It was only when Frankie Fredericks of Namibia appeared that our prime position in the men’s 100 metres and 200 metres (single) was threatened for some years.
Interestingly, even though many of the Nigerian athletes were studying in the USA, they would always represent Nigeria at the All-Africa Games and the Olympics. It is hard to remember a single Nigerian who was representing a European or North American country in the 1980s and 90s. If any Nigerian was representing another country, it would be most likely because the person could not emerge from the star-studded Nigerian side.
It is noteworthy that Nigeria won her first three Olympic medals through boxing. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Nojim Maiyegun won a bronze medal. At the 1972 Olympics in Zurich, Isaac Ikhouria won another bronze medal in boxing. And at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Peter Konyegwachie won a silver medal. The good outing in boxing continued with two silver medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics by David Izonritei and Richard Igbineghu. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Duncan Dokiwari won a bronze medal in boxing.
Interestingly, Nigeria won her highest number of medals at the 1996 Olympics. In addition to being the year Nigeria won her first Olympic gold medal, Nigeria won two gold, one silver and three bronze medals in total. To make the joy complete, one of the gold medals came from Nigeria’s most loved game: football. Nigeria beat Brazil and Argentina on her way to the football gold glory.
Shockingly, it was also in 1996 that Nigeria won her last medal in boxing. Since 1996, Nigeria has been nose-diving in boxing, a game the country used to dominate. As things stand today, Nigeria has virtually lost her pride of place in boxing.
Not surprisingly, sometime in the 2000s, Nigerian athletes began to choose other countries above their home country. We began to lose our stars as well as our positions in sprints, boxing, weightlifting, wrestling, etc.
At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the sheer number of Nigerians representing other countries was embarrassing. Today, it is not uncommon to see three Nigerians coming first, second and third for other countries in an international sporting event.
And these people are not doing it out of lack of patriotism. They are doing it because that is the most certain route to push forward their career. The mediocrity in sports management in Nigeria is getting worse and athletes get frustrated. Athletes don’t want their careers thwarted.
Similarly, for some years now, everybody has been banking on Dangote Refinery to save Nigeria from its perennial fuel refining crisis. The purported sabotage of Dangote Refinery seems to be dashing the hopes of everybody.
Nations don’t progress this way. It is only in myths that an Atlas would bear the whole world on his back. Progress-minded nations create a system that works irrespective of individuals. If one person fails, it does not crush the hopes of the entire country. That is what Nigeria should be targeting
