FG Puts Renewed Hope In Paralympics, Apologises For Olympic Shame

The Government of Nigeria has apologised for the country’s underwhelming performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, saying it has renewed its hope in fetching medals in the Paralympic Games.

Despite high hopes, Nigeria failed to clinch a medal at the 2024 Olympics despite smaller minions celebrating themselves at the world’s most prestigious sporting event.

Senator John Owan Enoh, Nigeria’s Minister of Sports Development, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his regret over the country’s disappointing results. In his statement, Enoh acknowledged that Nigeria’s performance fell far short of the expectations and objectives set by the nation.

“The Olympic Games, Paris 2024, has ended, and I accept that our performance should have been a lot better. It obviously fell short of our objectives, expectations, and hopes of Nigerians,” Enoh stated. “I must apologize to our compatriots and reflect on what went wrong while looking forward to the Paralympic Games, Paris 2024.”

Enoh, who assumed office in August 2023, noted that preparations by Nigeria for the 2024 Olympics had not yet begun when he took over the ministry. He also highlighted the challenges posed by the tight schedule, which included preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the African Games. However, he reassured Nigerians that funding was not an issue, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ensured that resources were adequately provided for the Olympic effort.

Looking ahead, the Minister promised a thorough review of the factors that contributed to Nigeria’s poor performance. “As a responsible organization, we have initiated a review process. We shall evaluate the competition readiness of every athlete comprehensively, including their injury and medical history, within the limits of patient confidentiality. The role of coaches and administrative staff will also be examined,” Enoh explained.

He emphasized that there are crucial lessons for Nigeria to learn from the 2024 Olympics, and improvements must be made in all aspects of Nigeria’s sports administration. Enoh pointed out that this is the first time since 2012 that Nigeria has returned from the Olympics without a single medal. In contrast, the country won a bronze medal in 2016 and both a silver and a bronze in the 2020 Olympics.

“As a country, we deserve more,” Enoh concluded. “Let’s turn the disastrous outcome of the 2024 Olympics into a huge positive for Nigerian sports.”

The Minister’s commitment to rebuilding and improving Nigeria’s sporting fortunes has been met with mixed reactions, as many Nigerians await the results of the promised review and the steps that will be taken to ensure better outcomes in future competitions.
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