Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi has slammed the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC) over the error which saw Favour Ofili not getting registered for an event at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Obi made reference to Ofili’s situation on Sunday in a post he shared on his X account to express his displeasure with Team Nigeria for their failure to win any medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“Let us consider the case of Favour Ofili, a Nigerian professional sprinter who trained for years for the 2024 Olympics, only for her name to be recklessly and wrongly removed from the list of athletes for the 100m race at the Olympics by Nigerian sporting authorities,” Obi wrote.
Team Nigeria’s poor performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with many describing it as the country’s most lackluster Olympic showing in recent times.
This is even as Senator John Owan-Enoh’s position as Sports Minister is under increasing pressure following Nigeria’s disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics with many calling for his dismissal.
From D’Tigress’ denied entry to the event’s opening ceremony, crashing out of the Olympic Games after losing 88-74 to the United States of America in the quarter-finals of the women’s basketball event, Ofili’s omission in the 100-metre race, cyclist Ese Ukpeseraye borrowing bicycle from Team German, World Record holder, Tobi Amusan, failing to qualify for the final of the 100m hurdles event to Nigeria getting disqualified for violating World Athletics’ competition rule in the 4x400m men’s relay, it has been from one tale of disappointment to another.
Although Nigeria’s Olympic contingent is still searching for its first medal, individuals of Nigerian descent have achieved success and recognition competing for other states.
Checks by The Guardian revealed that while Nigeria finished medal-less, 10 African countries outperformed them including Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Algeria, Morocco, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Egypt, and Zambia.
Obi reacted to the fact that a list of athletes with Nigerian heritage have shone brightly for their adopted countries.
“What explanation can anyone give about Annette Echikunwoke, a former Nigerian hammer thrower who was frustrated by the same rascality of some Nigerian leaders, making her switch her allegiance to the United States where she eventually won a medal in the just completed Olympics?,” Obi asked.
“These same professional athletes were denied the opportunity to represent our nation in Tokyo 2020 for similar reasons of administrative recklessness.”
