Team Nigeria ended their campaign at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games without a medal after Hannah Reuben lost her Women’s Freestyle 76kg fight 5-2 to Enkh-Amaryn Davaanasan of Mongolia in the round of 16 tie on Saturday.
Despite spending over N12 billion tax payers’ money to compete in 12 sporting events with 88 athletes at the Paris Games, Team Nigeria will return home without a single medal just like Seoul 1988 and London 2012 Games.
President Bola Tinubu had approved N12 billion for Nigeria’s participation at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Nigeria’s woeful outing at the Paris Games was before now replicated at the Seoul 1988 and London 2012 Games where the country won no medal, respectively.
Meanwhile, the minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, has described the Team Nigeria’s performances at the Paris Games as a disaster and vowed to prevent future occurrence.
“As we go back home we must do everything to prevent future occurrence of the Paris disaster and if this will entail the review of how people are elected to lead our sporting Federations, it will be done,” Enoh stated
Emphasising the importance of upcoming federation elections, Senator Enoh added, “I know that elections into the Federations are coming and it will be the perfect platform to get only those who have something to offer to lead the various sports.”
The minister in a press statement by his Special Adviser on media, Diana-Mary Nsan, called for reform aimed at enhancing the leadership and effectiveness of Nigeria’s sports federations that will pave way for improved performance on the global events.