DR. Amos Adamu who hardly made public views since leaving the sports scene nearly a decade ago has broken his silence.
According to Inside The Games, the former Director-General of Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC), has expressed little surprise that Nigeria returned from the Paris 2024 Olympics without any medals.
Adamu revealed he had anticipated the outcome, having previously warned about the potential failure before the event began in July.
“The same fate can befall us at the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 because there is so far no concrete plan on the ground to change the narrative,” Adamu remarked.
Nigeria’s 19th appearance at the Olympic Games ended in disappointment, marked by controversies and a lack of medals, despite high expectations following Tokyo 2020, where Nigeria won two medals (silver and bronze). The 88 Nigerian athletes across 12 sports, supported by N9 billion in government funding, ultimately fell short of expectations, marking the country’s worst performance since London 2012.
Adamu recalled warning the then Minister, John Enoh, before the event that Nigeria’s athletes would not win medals, explaining, “Where would the medals have come from? They don’t buy medals at the Olympics. You plan and work for this over time.”
He noted the late release of training funds and the lack of proper planning, saying, “The athletes didn’t get money to train as at when due. Medals are not sold but won.” During his tenure, Adamu emphasised long-term athlete development, training abroad, and timely funding.
Adamu cautioned that unless decisive steps are taken, Nigeria might face a similar outcome in 2028, despite a larger budget.
“Even with an increased budget now, there may be nothing to celebrate as achievement at the end of the 2028 Games if concrete steps were not taken immediately,” he said.
Nigeria has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since its debut in 1952, excluding the 1976 Montreal Games due to apartheid-related boycotts.
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