Popoola, Bose Kaffo, identify causes of Nigeria’s poor Paris 2024 Olympics outing

Critical Sports stakeholders in the country, namely, Nigerian Olympic Committee Secretary General, Tunde Popoola and 5- time Olympian, Bose Kaffo have identified poor infrastructure, administrative lapses, inadequate preparations, poor funding, poor selections, lack of exposure and late release of funds as some of the factors that contributed to the country not winning a single medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
They stated this in a lecture they delivered at the 4th edition of the annual Sports Centre Awareness Forum Lecture/Award Day which was held on Saturday October, 19, 2024 at Abesan Youth Center, Ipaja, Lagos.

Speaking on the theme Paris Olympics: Rising from the Ashes, Secretary General of the NOC, Tunde Popoola who was represented by Mrs. Kemi Obidahunsi expressed regrets that since Nigeria debuted at the Olympics in 1952 at Helsinki, Finland, she has won only 27 medals out of which three are gold medals with her best outing being at the 1996 Atlanta Games where she won a gold in football, long jump courtesy of Chioma Ajunwa, one silver and three bronze but regrettably instead of building on that, the country is retrogressing .
Popoola submitted that for Nigeria to get it right, it should start immediate preparation for the 2028 Olympics just as he stated that there must be a synergy between the Nigerian Olympic Committee, Olympic Sports Federations and the Federal Ministry of Sports Development while to get things right while government on its part must ensure adequate funding of sports as well as upgrading of facilities.
The NOC scribe was also of the opinion that corporate organisations in the country should adopt a sports as is done in other climes even as he lamented that most of the country’s athletes are busy looking for sponsorship when they’re supposed to be training.
Speaking further, the one time National Hockey Captain, explained to the audience that NOC does not get funding from the government but from the International Olympic Committee ( IOC), but was quick to add that such funds when received, is disbursed to elite athletes as training grants but noted that there’s need for proper monitoring of such grants to ensure that the beneficiaries are really using it for training.
Popoola while acknowledging that coaching has gone scientific announced that the Olympic movement has been organising coaching courses, periodically for them to enable trainers upgrade themselves in the modern techniques of coaching.

In her own presentation, 5-time Olympian, Bose Kaffo faulted the selection process of the athletes, lamenting that most times those appointed Technical Director of various sports Federations are not sportsmen and women which she believes leads to wrong judgement and poor selection of athletes that will represent the country at the All Africa Games and Commonwealth Games and Olympics respectively.
She was also of the opinion that it’s high time people are made to account for their stewardship especially when the country perform woefully at international competitions as was witnessed at the last Olympics.
Kaffo also spoke on the need to differentiate between sports Medicine and Sports Psychology as well as monitor the nutrition of the athletes which can affect their performance.

Kaffo who is the Vice President of Para Swimming Federation of Nigeria, was emphatic that the country must take the issue of infrastructural decay serious, discovering of athletes, avoid age cheats and funding serious
She faulted a situation whereby the country uses fire brigade approach in preparing athletes and wondered why a sprinter would be sent to Morocco or a table tennis player sent on a training tour to the United States, when it’s obvious that these countries do not have comparative advantage in those sports.
The multiple Africa and Commonwealth table tennis champion, submitted that for the country to target a podium finish at the 2028 Olympics, there must be adequate funding and things done the right way.
” This is the time we’re supposed to start preparing for the 2028 Olympics.
You’re aware that by 2026, the Youth Olympics will be held in Dakar, Senegal; the first to be held in Africa and this is the time Nigeria is supposed to groom athletes for that Games who will later graduate to represent the country at the 2028 Olympics”, he said.

In his speech at the well attended event, Chairman of the occasion Rev . Samuel Ikpea, who was represented by Joseph Udoekwu described the lecture as coming at the right time when the country need to begin the rebuilding process ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Ikpea who is the National Chairman of
Nigeria Football Supporters Club, reminded Nigerians that sports is a unifying factor and it’s thigh time we start taking sport as a business and not for recreation.
He lamented that despite huge sums of money earmarked for ‘Team Nigeria’ at Paris Olympics, it still did not meet up with the likes of United States, Great Britain, China and others in preparation alone because they have long term plans.
Ikpea stated that this happened because athletes from these countries get grants from the Olympics Federation every year to train and embark on training tour which lasts for two years while here, we only train athletes for two months and want them to perform miracle.
He advocated investing more in sports and funds released on time for adequate preparation of athletes.

Convenor of the event, Tayo Adeyemo, noted that the purpose of the lecture/ Award day is to dissect sports and proffer solutions.
According to him, every year, they bring in experts to x- ray Nigerian sports and offer solutions on how to move the sector forward.

“You’ll agree with me that the two resource persons did a good job. Bose Kaffo needs no introduction while Tunde Popoola is not only the Secretary General of NOC but a retired athlete who understands how things work and as such they are major stakeholders” he said.
He also explained that they also use the occasion to present awards to their members who have distinguished themselves in the service of the forum.
” I’m very happy that since we started this lecture series in 2021, we’ve been able to bring in highly qualified resource persons from the sports sector who come to x- ray Nigerian sports and proffer solution on how to move the sector forward.
” What we intend to do is that at the end of the day, we’ll issue a communique based on their submissions and get it across to relevant agencies which will help in moving our sports forward.
” Having successfully concluded the 4th edition, by January 2025, a planning committee will be set up to pick a theme for next year’s edition which I hope by the Grace of God will be very educative and interesting”, he concluded.

Highlight of the day was the presentation of award to deserving members of the forum who have contributed immensely to their success and they include; Rotimi Arabi Samuel based in the United State, Mrs. Ekanem Okoduwa, John Omolaye and Mrs. Olalere Olamide,.
Others are; Gideon Akinsola, Assistant Commissioner of Police ( rtd), Seun Oka Ojo Joseph and Charles Osamudiame Ojiokpota.
The event was spiced up with various side attractions, music, dance and entertainment.