Sports Minister Convenes Paris 2024 post Olympics/Paralympics review meeting

Posted : 25 September 2024

The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, convened the Paris 2024 Ministerial Olympics/Paralympics Post-Games Review meeting on Tuesday, the 24th, to unearth the remote and immediate causes of Nigeria's unimpressive performance at the games and to chart the way forward.

Enoh described what transpired at the 2024 Paris Olympics as unfortunate and a tipping point in the evolution of sports in the country.

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He urged all present at the meeting to engage in an unfettered exchange of ideas that would not only chart a new path forward but also assist in writing the next chapter in the nation's sports development.

"I am wired to succeed. But sitting at the Paris Games, as the events ticked by, I waited for medals that never came.

“In my pre-Olympic meetings, federation after federation made possible podium projections.

“What happened to those projections? Were they based on objective reality, or were those projections simply made to please me?"

Furthermore, he emphasized the utmost importance of accepting the fact that Team Nigeria performed poorly at the games, both by the athletes and stakeholders.

He also urged them to immediately commence a rebuilding process based on an unfettered analysis of what went wrong and to put forward fresh ideas that would spark positive change.

He stressed that the outcome of the meeting would be determined by how purposeful and intentional the Sports Ministry and sports stakeholders were in tackling the challenges that continue to hinder the growth of sports in the country.

"While we may not have planned for the outcome we experienced, the failure at the games may serve as a rude awakening, a tipping point that should spur everyone present here to commit that we will never again find ourselves in this situation after such an abysmal outing."

The Sports Minister stated that everyone present in the meeting must take responsibility at the level they function if progress is to be made.

The session was an open and frank discussion.

Various federations provided a recap of the games, what went wrong, and recommendations for the future.

Professor Ken Anygweje of the podium performance team gave a critical analysis of athletes' performance, a scientific perspective on Team Nigeria's state of preparedness for the games, and offered recommendations.

The Director of Sports Medicine and the Anti-Doping Committee were also included.

Although Team Nigeria did not win medals at the Olympics, there were events that signaled hope for sports in Nigeria.

These events provide a foundation upon which the sector can thrive, both in the Olympics and the Paralympics.

The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary and Directors of the Sports Ministry, as well as the Presidents of the NOC and NPC.

Representatives from various sporting federations, along with their Secretaries, technical directors, the Athletes Commission, the Podium Performance Team, the Anti-Doping Committee, and critical stakeholders were also present.

Sports Minister Convenes Paris 2024 post Olympics/Paralympics review meeting

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