Chief Osheku: How Dr Adamu contributed to Falilat Ogunkoya’s historic feats at Atlanta ’96 Olympics

Former FIFA executive committee member Dr Amos Adamu may have been fingered as the architect of the misfortune that has befallen sports in Nigeria since his time as Director of Sports in the Federal Ministry of Sports but to respected athletics coach, chief Tony Osheku, Dr Adamu contributed hugely to the double medal Falilat Ogunkoya won at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Ogunkoya made history by becoming the first Nigerian to win an individual medal in track and field at the Olympics. She also made history as the first and, so far, only one to win two medals at the same Olympics.

With Nigeria returning medal less from the Paris 2024 Olympics and with Nigerians preaching for administrators who understand the sport to aways be in charge, chief Osheku has narrated how Dr Adamu stopped Ogunkoya from competing in the European athletics circuit to concentrate on her preparation for the Olympics.

Chief Osheku, in an interview with Complete Sports four years ago said the whole story began after Ogunkoya broke 50 seconds for the first time in her career.

‘It began at the Grand Prix in Paris, precisely on June 28, 1996. She ran 49.89 to place second.

‘On July 3rd at the Grand Prix in Lausanne, Switzerland she placed second running another personal best- 49.60 seconds!. Nigerians started taking special notice of her.

‘It was at this point Doctor Amos Adamu who was the Director of Sports at the Sports Ministry invited me to his office at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos for a meeting. He said the Sports Ministry was ready to pay Fali the appearance money that she usually get so that she could stop competing in the circuit because they didn’t want her to burn out.

‘We negotiated and I flew to Nice, France to advise her to stop competing. She won the meet with 50.00 on July 10th and that was her last meet before the Olympics. We flew from Nice to our base in the USA to resume training.

‘After the training in Albuquerque, we left for Atlanta a week later. At this point, I started talking to her about the Games, that she was ready and capable of winning a medal. I told her that her training indicated that she was ready.

‘Our preparation at the Games Village was 90% psychology and 10% physical. I told her it was possible for her to be the first Nigerian to win an individual medal in track and field going by the schedule and the level of competition in some other events.

‘She ran her first race on the 26th of July with a time of 52.65 seconds and on the 27th she ran 50.65 to qualify for the semifinal. In the semifinal the next day (July 28) she ran a new 49.57 seconds personal best to qualify for her first Olympic final!.

‘And on the day of the final, Monday July 29, 1996 I couldn’t eat right. During the warm up I was watching (Marie-Jose ) Perec and Cathy (Freeman) on what they were doing.

‘Lee Evans advised her to relax and to go out there to fight for a medal. The warm up track was far to the stadium. (Innocent) Egbunike asked me if I was going to the stadium main bowl to watch the race and I said yes. I went inside and I didn’t open my eyes when the race started. I watched the replay to see her position. When I saw her position as third, I was speechless.

‘A lot of people congratulated me. It was a good day for the Africans because Davis Kamoga of Uganda also won a bronze in the Men’s 400m.

‘We could not rest Fatimah and Fali for the 4x400m heats because our heat was very strong. We made them to run the heat.

‘Winning another silver in 4X400m was a great achievement. A friend told me that I would be rich forever with the double medals Falilat won. This was (and still is) because some countries do pay their coaches if their athletes win medals.

‘In Qatar they promised to pay $250,000 to a coach if his/her athlete wins a bronze medal. I was disappointed that Nigeria didn’t give me a national award, Member of the Order of the Niger, MON. But all the football coaches that won gold medal got MON. Our athletes won gold, silver and bronze and no award for the coaches.

‘The athletes got MON, land and other stuff. I only got a Chieftaincy title in Ogun State which I really, really cherish till today…but unfair that coaches who did well to achieve Nigeria’s best showing at the Olympics were completely ignored.’