A Professor of Sports Psychology, Oluwaseun Omotayo, has faulted the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) over its positive assessment of Team Nigeria’s poor performance at the just-concluded Paris 2024 Olympics where Nigeria did not win a single medal.
Prof. Omotayo, who expressed his thoughts over the matter via a media statement, charged the Ministry of Sports Development to start preparing Team Nigeria for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games right away.
Prof. Omotayo wrote: “What a mediocre assessment of performances as if the athletes or Nigerians have gone to the Paris Olympic Games to compete against self or among themselves. No. The athletes have gone to compete against the world best. It is unfortunate that Nigerian continues to wallow in unscientific approach to management of athletes in the rundown to major mega sports competitions.
“The end of an Olympic Games marks the beginning of another Olympic tetrad. This by implication gives Nigeria a four-year period to prepare for another Olympic Games. The Paris Games for Nigeria is the same as the London Games. This is because preparations for the two Games are not different hence Nigeria got the same preventable results.
” I appeal to the Ministry of Sports Development ensure unbiased assessment of the cause of the dismal outing of Team Nigeria. I use this opportunity to call for the revival of NASCOM initiative and allow for a full-scale implementation of the initiative.
“It is good that Chief Segun Odegbami, the Lead Projenitor of NASCOM, is still very much around and definitely not too old to push through the NASCOM initiative. The NASCOM initiative is robust and embracing and all-inclusive STO to see many Nigerians on the podium at the next Olympics if all facets of the Initiative are implemented by thorough bred sports stakeholders, ranging from sponsors and enthusiasts, sports scientists, coaches, seasoned administrators, sports journalists etc.
“Nigeria Sports confraternity need not cry over spilled milk but ensure adoption of a solutions-driven program which must include an overhaul of the entire sports leadership system that shall cause a paradigm shift in Sports Management in the country.”
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