The 2024 Paris Olympics have been a challenging and disappointing journey for Team Nigeria, with numerous early exits and setbacks casting a shadow over their campaign.
From the outset, the Nigerian team faced hurdles. In boxing, Cynthia Ogunsemilore’s provisional suspension for a positive drug test ahead of her opening fight was a significant blow.
Meanwhile, Olaitan Olaore, the reigning African champion, suffered a crushing 5-0 defeat in the men’s 92kg category, dashing hopes for a medal in the sport.
The table tennis arena, where Nigeria has historically shown promise, proved equally unforgiving. Quadri Aruna, the nation’s and Africa’s top player, lost a tight match 4-3 in the first round. Omotayo Olajide also exited early, losing 4-1. In the women’s singles, Offiong Edem and Fatimo Bello were unable to progress past the first round, both succumbing to 4-0 defeats.
Badminton brought no reprieve as Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori bowed out after losing his first and second group matches. Similarly, the Super Falcons, Nigeria’s women’s football team, ended their Olympic campaign without a single point, having lost all three of their group stage matches.
In swimming, Tobi Sijuade’s third-place finish in the Men’s 50m Freestyle heat with a time of 23.34s was not enough to see him through to the semifinals.
Young talent Adaku Nwandu, despite a commendable effort, missed out on the Women’s 50m Freestyle final. She finished second in her heat with a time of 26.62 seconds but did not rank among the 16 fastest times needed to advance.
Athletics, another area of high expectation, saw its share of disappointments. Godson Oghenebrume, despite qualifying, was not in the lineup for the Men’s 100m heats.
Favour Ofili, a strong contender, was ruled out of the Women’s 100m due to an administrative oversight by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). Grace Nwokocha finished 6th in her heat with a time of 11.33 seconds, while Rosemary Chukwuma came in 8th in the Women’s 200m semifinal 2.
Temitope Adeshina’s 9th place finish in Group B of the Women’s High Jump with a jump of 1.88m was not enough to advance to the final.
The Mixed 4x400m relay team, comprising Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Ifeanyi Ojeli, and Patience Okon-George, set a new national record with a time of 3:11.99 but narrowly missed out on the final, finishing 4th in their heat.
In the field events, the trio of Ashley Anumba, Chioma Onyekwere, and Obiageri Amaechi exited early in the Women’s Discus after the first round.
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, despite a strong performance, finished 5th in the Men’s Shot Put final with a throw of 21.42m, falling short of the medal positions.
These collective disappointments have been a tough pill to swallow for Team Nigeria and its supporters.
The early exits and near misses underscore the challenges faced by the athletes and highlight areas for reflection and improvement.
However, there is a glimmer of hope for team Nigeria as Medal prospects like Tobi Amusan the World Record holder in 100m hurdles women category and Ese Brume in high Jump are yet to begin their events.
Moreso, the D’Tigress who showed resilience and fighting spirit in their first game against world number three Australia in their first game are still very much alive in the competition, they will file out against the Canadian Basketball team today for a place in the next round.
There are still opportunities for team Nigeria to better on their performances of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
