Ex-Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Amos Adamu, on Monday, said he was not surprised that Nigeria returned without any medal from the Paris 2024 Olympics.
According to The PUNCH, Adamu told newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, that he was not surprised because he had earlier warned of such calamity before the global multi-sports event began in July.
“The same fate can befall us at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in the U.S. in 2028 because there is so far no concrete plan on the ground to change the narrative,” he said.
Against all expectations, Nigeria’s 19th appearance at the Olympic Games ended in a fiasco, with the campaign dented by controversies.
After clinching two medals at the 2020 Tokyo Games held in 2021, comprising a silver and a bronze, expectations had been sky-high about Nigeria’s athletes.
However, in spite of receiving ₦9 billion in funding from the Federal Government, the team failed to meet expectations across the board.
Nigeria featured 88 athletes in 12 sports and came off empty-handed, for the country’s worst Olympics outing since London 2012, as notable medal prospects fell short in their respective events.
“When they were preparing for the last Olympics, I told the then Minister (John Enoh) that they (Nigeria’s athletes) would not win anything. Where would the medals have come from? They don’t buy medals at the Olympics. You plan and work for this over time.”
