Team Nigeria suffered a stunning body blow in Paris as major medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan had a shocker as the world record holder was eliminated in the 110m Hurdles following a slow start in her Semi-Final Heat. Her 3rd placed, 12.55 seconds finish was ultimately not good enough as one of the fastest qualifiers.
It was a double whammy when it was realized that a possible reprieve opportunity was lost because Team Nigeria officials did not lodge a protest on time as French qualifier Samba-Mayela stepped out of her lane and should have been disqualified.
Weightlifter Joy Eze – a last hope for possibly a surprise medal placing in the Women’s 71kg category put up a spirited challenge but eventually finished 7th.
Also Read: Beyond Paris 2024 – Nigeria, At The Edge…..Of Greatness! –Odegbami
It capped a forgettable Olympics for Team Nigeria, characterized by a doping violation in boxing , a yet to be explained athlete exclusion in Track and Field and an embarrassing incident of wrong equipment in Cycling all combining to put a negative spin on Team Nigeria’s outing in Paris.
In a swift reaction, Sports Minister John Enoh held a Media Parley at the Nigerian Consulate in Paris where he fielded questions from Nigerian Journalists covering the Games. He assured that lessons from the poor outing will be the catalyst for necessary Sports Sector reforms, some already in place, to put the country on the right path to recovery in an industry where he admitted Nigeria simply wasn’t living up to her true potential.
It’s London 2012 all over again.
Deja Vu…….
By Deji Omotoyinbo, in Paris
Source: www.completesports.com
