Former Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Dr. Amos Adamu has said that he wasn’t surprised that Nigeria returned home empty handed from the last Olympic Games in Paris, adding that he had predicted that it would end so before the world multi-sports event.
The former Sole Administrator of the Nigeria Football Federation (then Nigeria Football Association) equally said that the same faith will befall the nation at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, as there has not been any concrete plan to change the narratives.
Against all expectations, Nigeria’s 19th appearance at the Olympic Games ended in a fiasco, failing to win a medal at Paris 2024, with the campaign dented by controversies.
After winning two medals (silver and bronze) in Tokyo, expectations were high, but they fell short on all fronts despite the massive N9 billion funds from the Federal Government being the total budget the National Olympic Committee submitted to the Presidency for approval.
The country featured 88 athletes in 12 sports and came off empty-handed, making it a chastening Olympics for Nigerian Sports, the country’s worst outing at the Olympics since London 2012, as notable medal prospects fell short in their respective events.
Speaking to news men on the sidelines of the 70th birthday celebration of Dr. Steve Abiodun Olarinoye in Ilorin on Saturday January 4th, 2025, Dr. Adamu said that even with increased budget for sports, there may be nothing to celebrate as achievement at the next Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
“When they were preparing for the last Olympics, I told the Minister that they will not win anything. Where would the medals come from? They don’t buy medals at the Olympics. You plan and work for it over time.
“The athletes didn’t get money to train as at when due as the money was released late. There is no miracle in this at all. You plan for it, and work hard for it. Medals are not sold but won.
“When I was in charge, I programmed athletes that have prospects from the end of one Olympics till the next Olympics. They go abroad to train, and we monitor their progresses, and those we thought cannot make it are dropped along the line. We pay them training grants, and also pay the coaches.
“But now, they will wait till some months to the event before they start preparing, and above all, money doesn’t come as at when due.
Nigeria first participated in the Olympic Games in 1952, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the boycotted 1976 Summer Olympics.
