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The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have been concluded on Sunday and Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, returned home without a single medal. The Nigerian national anthem was never played, the green and white flag remained absent from the medal ceremonies.
In stark contrast, four athletes of Nigerian descent made their adopted countries proud, winning medals and securing their places in Olympic history. Meanwhile, Team Nigeria left Paris empty-handed.
Among the medalists was Yemisi Ogunleye, who claimed a gold medal for Germany in the shot put. Born to a Nigerian father from Omuo-Ekiti, the headquarters of Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State and a German mother. Yemisi’s victory marked a historic achievement for her adopted nation.
Salwa Eid Naser, born Ebelechukwu Antoinette Agbapuonwu in Nigeria, secured a silver medal in the 400 meters for Bahrain. Despite showing immense promise early in her career at the Nigerian Youth Games, she struggled to find the necessary support in her homeland. This led her to switch allegiance to Bahrain in 2014, where she converted to Islam and adopted her new name. Since then, she has consistently brought home medals for the oil-rich kingdom, with her latest being the silver in Paris.
Another athlete of Nigerian origin, Annette Echikunwoke, who was born and raised in Pickerington, Ohio, by Nigerian parents, made her mark in the hammer throw. Initially set to represent Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she was ruled ineligible. Disheartened by the negligence of Nigerian sports officials, she switched her allegiance back to the United States. At the Paris Games, Echikunwoke won silver, becoming the first American woman to medal in the hammer throw.
Samu Omorodion, born in Melilla, Spain, to Nigerian parents, also made a significant impact. Though eligible to play for Nigeria, he chose to represent Spain and contributed to their gold medal victory in the men’s football event. While he did not play in the final match, his earlier performances were crucial to Spain’s success.
The Paris 2024 Games will likely be a bittersweet memory for Nigerians—an event where hope alone was not enough to secure victory on the global stage.
If Nigeria is to correct past mistakes and secure medals at the upcoming Olympic Games in Los Angeles, now is the time to return to the drawing board. The nation could draw inspiration from its success at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, where Nigerian athletes excelled in various events.
To achieve this, Nigerian sports officials must avoid the pitfalls of late preparations and instead focus on proactive planning. By looking inward and committing to changing the narrative, Nigeria can turn her recent medal drought into a fruitful season of victories.
