15 October 2008
editorial
The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, would go down as the worst in recent time for Nigerian athletes. Before and after the Games, our athletes were subjected to conditions that would have made even the stoniest of hearts to melt.
Indeed, but for the medals won and experience garnered, the majority of athletes who flew our flag at the quadrennial Games had nothing but tales of woe from what ordinarily should be a landmark experience in their lives.
Put bluntly, Nigeria's treatment of her athletes was a classic example of how not to prepare for a high profile event as the Olympics. Besides the late release of funds which made any meaningful preparation for the Olympics almost impossible, the athletes were either abandoned or kept in the dark when key decisions affecting them were taken. Even the dates of departure to training camps abroad became a matter of conjecture or guesswork.
But, the shabby treatment that attended the athletes' departure to the Olympics is nothing compared with the neglect that characterized their very uncoordinated return to the country. The female national team, the Super Falcons, for instance, was abandoned and stranded at the airport.
In what appears to be a validation of the popular saying that 'success has many fathers, and failure an orphan,' the Federal Government has yet to organize a reception for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic athletes weeks after the curtains were drawn on both competitions. While this may be due to the then absence of President Umar Musa Yar'Adua, it is important to point out that all over the world, quality attention is given to athletes who fly their countries' flags at the Olympics.
Over the years, government and indeed, the people, have developed a penchant for not according any form of respect to athletes who fail to meet their expectations. This, in our view, is unacceptable and should be discouraged. Given the growing discontent among the nation's top athletes and the reported moves by some of them to dump their fatherland, the sports authorities must have a rethink on the welfare and treatment of athletes.
Rather than view a reception for our Beijing 2008 ambassadors as an enthronement of mediocrity, government must realize that it could well be the catalyst for better performance at future outings. The tendency is that when an under-performing athlete feels appreciated, he is likely to justify the confidence reposed in him by striving to excel in subsequent competitions.
Perhaps, it is pertinent at this juncture to state that Jamaica's Usain Bolt who captured the imagination of the world at Beijing 2008, was a flop at the Athens 2004 Games. As the sprinter himself announced during a lavish reception for the entire contingent in the capital, Kingston, last week, "the sense of belonging"given them after the Athens 2004 misadventure, was largely responsible for his breathtaking performance.
It is unfortunate that government has yet to recognize the pivotal role of sports in the socio-political and economic development of the country. We say so because, it is in the habit of only acknowledging winning teams and individuals, particularly footballers. And this, to say the least, has been inimical to the overall development of our sports. The damage done the psyche of a first-timer at the Olympics who feels abandoned, is better imagined than experienced.
We urge government to organize a befitting reception for the Nigerian contingent to Beijing 2008 without further delay. Sport is largely a function of the youth and no amount of investment is too much for this critical segment of the population. It is instructive to point out that despite its lean resources, the Jamaican government continues to commit millions of dollars to sports in its bid to take the youths off crime. The small Caribbean island of 2.8 million people is notorious for its sky-high crime rate.
Government must also consider putting in place lasting structures that would bring out the best in our athletes. It is only when they get the recognition they deserve that they would be in good stead to decline offers from developed countries, no matter how attractive.
In addition, government could also use the opportunity provided by the reception for athletes to challenge them to better performance, even as it tries to unearth reasons for the poor showing in past competitions.
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