Abati: ‘Nigeria’s participation at Paris 2024 Olympics marred by the failure of AFN and NOC to submit Ofili’s name for the 100m race’

Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, says ‘Nigeria’s participation at the just concluded Paris 2024 Olympics was generally marred by the failure of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Nigeria Olympics Committee, NOC, to submit Favour Ofili’s name for the 100m race.’

Abati, in an opinion published in Premium Times, says ‘the sheer incompetence of both bodies is not new: they did the same thing at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 denying 10 athletes the opportunity to participate in the Olympics. They have repeated the same offence this year in Paris, and the best they can do is to trade blames,’ wrote Abati.

He recalled that Nigeria’s men’s 4 x 400 relay team was disqualified for a lane violation in the semi-final and said that, while no Nigerian made it to the podium in Paris, ‘it has been reported that our athletes despite not winning any medal, partied hard and ate to their heart’s content.’

Abati says the ‘big shame was seeing Nigerians carrying the flag of other countries with Yemisi Ogunleye who won gold for Germany in shot put is from Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti State, Samu Omorodion who was part of the Spanish football team that won gold in the men’s category, among others.

He also cited the case of Annette Nneka Echikunwoke who won silver in Hammer Throw for the United States who was listed to represent Nigeria at the Tokyo Olympics but could not because of the incompetence and corruption of Nigerian officials and had to switch her allegiance back to the United States, her country of birth.

Echikunwoke made history as the first American woman to win a medal in the hammer throw at the Olympics.

‘There is also Ebelechukwu Agbapuonwu (can any name be more Nigerian than that?) but she competed at the Olympics and got a silver medal not for Nigeria but Bahrain. In her case, she not only abandoned Nigeria, she even changed her name to Salwa Eid Naser to identify fully with her chosen country and new religion,’ he wrote.

Abati says most African countries are guilty of underinvestment in sports facilities but that of Nigeria is worse and allege those who lead the various sports Federations are corrupt and incompetent.

He also revealed why many athletes are running away from competing for their parents’ countries.

‘Many of the athletes on the continent prefer to switch to other countries because there are better training facilities abroad and better rewards for talent. At the Paris Olympics, Hong Kong promised its gold medalists – $768,000; Kazakhstan offered $250,000 for gold; France – $87,000; Singapore – $745,000; Indonesia – $300,000.

‘Sports has become big business. In a globalized world, athletes are entrepreneurs and they would, like everyone else, migrate to where they can gain the best comparative advantage for their talent.’

Abati recalled that in Atlanta 1996, Nigeria won two gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals but says ‘we have since lost the magic due to years of indolence, rascality, and the failure to treat sports as a strategic vehicle for diplomacy and national development.’

He also wrote about Sports Minister, John Enoh saying ‘there would be consequences for the failure of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Nigeria’s International Olympics Committee (IOC) at the Paris Olympics.’

‘What consequences, if we may ask? The least that we can ask for is that Nigeria should begin to prepare for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and not wait till the very last minute,’ he advised.