Chioma Ajunwa, Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medallist, has voiced strong criticism of the country’s sports administration following another disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Ajunwa urged for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s sports sector, highlighting the need for fresh leadership and improved planning.
Ajunwa’s remarks come in the wake of the Nigerian athletes’ lacklustre showing, which saw them missing out on several potential medals.
Ajunwa criticised the current sports administration for its repeated failures and lack of accountability, emphasising the need for individuals with genuine expertise and passion for sports to lead the sector.
“One thing I think the people in the helm of affairs should do is to overhaul the sports department in Nigeria. They should stop recycling the old administrative officers that never know what they are doing. When you put people who know their onions, we would not be speaking in this manner.
“Our problem is that we are using those that never knew what sports is, those that never did sports in their life. When you go to the ministry of sports, before 3pm, they have all gone home.”
The Olympian lamented the persistent issues in Nigerian sports, stating that the same problems continue to plague the sector from one Olympics to the next.
She expressed frustration over the wasted potential of Nigerian athletes, who invest considerable time, energy, and personal resources into their training, and also pointed out the mismanagement of funds on the part of the government.
“It is quite disheartening that every year, Nigeria will be telling this kind of story. If you remember, after the last Olympics before this, it was still the same thing. They keep on telling us, let them go back to the drawing board. The drawing board, we never see and we don’t even know how to draw on the board.
“It is quite unfortunate that we lost the whole chances and the athletes wasted their whole time, energy, and personal resources. It is also quite unfortunate that Nigeria spent so much but that one is not my business because we don’t spend that money when we are supposed to spend it.”
The gold medalist emphasised the importance of planning and preparation, criticising the lack of foresight and strategic investment in the athletes’ development.
Ajunwa also lamented the poor facilities available to Nigerian athletes, particularly the restricted access to stadiums.
“Immediately after the closure of this Olympics, every country will go back and start planning because this is a four-year event, giving the countries the whole time to go back and plan for their athletes to train. But we in Nigeria, we will just go back to our comfort zone and begin to celebrate the money we made there and then begin to invest in our own personal things with that money, instead of planning on how the county will move forward.
“If the minister is giving them good money based on what they have spent since their preparation, maybe it could have motivated them. Somebody who lives in the US, UK or any part of Europe, you know how much the athlete uses in training in the stadium where they train, because even here in Nigeria, Nigeria does not allow athletes to train in the stadium. The stadium is always under lock and key and I don’t know who they built it for.”
Chioma Kalu
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