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Beijing Olympic Games 2008: Lessons from Nigeria
The 2008 Olympics have come and gone with Nigeria's largest nation and the giant Black Africa back to Africa where it rightly belongs with one silver and three bronze. Those who refused to blame the country hinge their argument on the preparations and arrangements miserable possible by the responsible authorities, the Federal Ministry of "Football"
There is no doubt that most athletes in Beijing China to represent the country in which spectators were only there to observe other athletes counterparts prepared to perform commendably well. Anyone who has followed it adopt measures drawn up by the Nigerian authorities will have to finally realize that the nation did not do much, but dabbled in almost every game available in Beijing. This earned the country the name "Jack trade, master of none." Of course, all have more on men's football event the detriment of the other games.
Thanks to Samson Siasia, the coach of the country head Dream Team IV, who has written for the second time the name of country in the table of countries with silver medals in men's football event of the games and thanks to the players who perform well are also active without worrying about unfavorable environment in the country. After all, we're used to it. Only Nigerians understood.
Someone who saw one of our boxers well beaten by an individual, Boxer noted that Ghana needed to tackle our problem of the shortage of kerosene, which put food on table our boxers. Only a man or a woman that the man does not understand the country has made the problems we live with our lot of blame on the athletes and women who represented us. This leads to the question of whether there are sports facilities in the country for our sports athletes to train men and women. Everything is just plain wrong with our system, including sports.
One thing the outside world does not know is that most of our financial representatives funded his training in bidding to represent their country. A very good example is Chika Chukwumerije, who won bronze in Taekwendo, and even defeated the world champion during the event. He reportedly financed his training in Asia, Europe and other continents and spent more than 25 million Naira. This paid off when he was finally crowned bronze medal in the championship, a testimony that only those who have worked hard to reap the fruits of their labor. Preparations are therefore very vital to maintenance of sports victories and no one can rule this out. Governments should invest funds and other resources on other interests, their respective abundance.
The country is notorious for leaving even those who have earned the honor for her. Is it necessary to ask here what happened to Chioma Ajunwa, the first lady to give the country its first ever individual gold medal? Where is Peter Konyegwechie, silver medalist in boxing? The general feeling among representatives of the country aspiring is living, but forgotten after glories. Not surprisingly, many of our athletes continue to flee to acquire citizenship of other countries to escape what happened their predecessors. After all, "When the toad front falls into a well behind the others caution"
You do not need be said again that the majority of coaches appointed to look after athletes by country authorities do not have many opportunities to do as their durations are coaching usually very short. We hope that the worst happens, which is of course "sack." The ax hanging over their heads again. Coming soon. With human and material resources available Nigeria in abundance, anyone has to wait for our representatives to return home with more medals than we have now, because Nigerians are very talented.
The country's football authorities expressed inability to secure the release of Taye Taiwo, Ike Uche and Vincent Enyeama by their respective clubs, a situation clearly indicating that the Nigeria Football Federation has to extend its influence beyond the enclave of the Nigeria society. Although men have been successful to the admiration of all, we still have to do much more to make improvements and not less.
In one of my visits to a training camp in Festac, I had seen an athlete do his personal training, often with his legs stretched out by some sports loving people. In response to questions from me, I said it was one of our Olympic representatives, in other research when she was not at the stadium in the country, they said, well, the stadium in Lagos was abandoned. A very neglected stadium would have been better than the FHA playground in Festac town but she knew better than me or so I assumed. She also must have been neglected. Training in the local park and hope to compete with American, British, Chinese and Russian Athletes must be awkwardly.
Ask to our questions about why the authorities once the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos has been so neglected amount to a waste of time as the media the country have amply condemned it with little effort made by the government to restore. It is noted that the Super Eagles of Nigeria maintains a long record section have not lost at that stage in much of their many games played in the main cup this stage. Our authorities would prefer to play and do poorly in a stadium Kano, obviously, less standard, the Super Eagles were performed poorly and ended up losing a berth in the 2006 World Cup in Angola. quota system was.
The 2008 Olympics have come and gone, but we must do more for us to look after our precious representatives who bring pride and honor of our beloved nation. Need to identify areas that are good like other countries and focus on them instead of deepening in each event and return home with nothing. This will be a useful tip for us especially when our wallets can not take care of all of us even though we tend to ask why this is the case with all the high sound of the amount of money you hear in this country. Many African countries that turned to gold are not superior to Nigeria do not have talented athletes better than us.
Everybody cries or berates the Nigeria women's national team for inability to travel beyond the first round every time we face bigger teams in Europe and America, but nobody remembers that they are just made to engage these countries super Match friendly as preparation for big events.
Nigeria places too much attention to soccer over other sports, it is not surprising the Nigeria Sports Minister is nothing more than a Minister of "Football." This development is very concerned about the growth of other sports in the country. Boxing for example, that used to be the pride of the nation, it is now possible in neglect and on the verge of extinction. Other sports are also affected, and this situation if not quickly arrested will lead to the death "of athletics in the country. If you were surprised like me, then I probably would have expressed this when we realized that a Nigerian could compete favorably and return home with medals in the Taekwondo event even though the representative of the nation's determination did after the personal finance and practices. The result of the emphasis on football unnecessary expense of other sports was the result of the nation harvested in Beijing, China. All kinds of sports is necessary that each nation will award medals.
We need to address if we improvement.
About the Author
Emeka Esogbue hails from Ibusa, Delta State, Nigeria. He is a Historian and International Relations graduate with lots of tremendous published and unpublished works.
emekaesogbue@yahoo.com
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