By Olanrewaju Akojede

Team Nigeria will begin a fresh phase of participation when the 2024 Paris Olympic Games begin on July 26 in Paris, France.

The Paris Olympics, which is its 33rd edition, is scheduled to end by Aug. 11 while the Paralympics is expected to hold from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.

Nigeria’s target is to put up a master class performance akin to its famous outing at Atlanta 96 Olympics where the country garnered six medals at the Games.

Nigeria is fielding a strong team of 82 sportsmen and women who will compete in 11 sports at the 2024 Games in Paris.

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Track and Field is leading the contingent in terms of numbers with 32 athletes, consisting of 14 males and 18 females at the Games.

Nigeria will also be represented in Basketball, Badminton, Boxing, Canoeing, Cycling, Football, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Weightlifting and Wrestling at the Paris Olympics.

With a total medal haul of two gold, one silver and three bronze at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, the country’s performance till date remained the first and only time that Team Nigeria won two gold medals in the Olympics.

Leading the medal zone was a fantastic brilliance of Chioma Ajunwa, who leaped to a 7.12 metres to pose the record as the first West-African female athlete and the first Nigerian to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field.

Nigeria also created another memorable record by winning another gold medal in the male football event against all odds and against the big guns in the sport such as Brazil and Argentina.

Nigeria’s football team, tagged the ‘Dream Team’, was led in that epoch-making event by Kanu Nwankwo, the then African Footballer of the Year.

The team comprised other football greats such as the mercurial midfielder, Austin Okocha.

Their defensive wall was marshalled by Taribo West, Uche Okechukwu, Sunday Oliseh, and Celestine Babayaro, with attacking power play of Daniel Amokachi, Wilson Oruma and speedy winger Emmanuel Amuneke among others.

They went on to record an incredible comeback 3-2 win over Argentina in a dramatic final and claimed their first-ever gold in football at the Olympics.

Other success stories at the 1996 Olympics included a silver medal in the women’s 4x400m with the quartet of Falilat Ogunkoya, Olabisi Afolabi, Fatima Yusuf and Charity Opara.

Also, Nigeria’s woman of candour in sprints, Mary Onyali, powered to a silver podium finish in women’s 200m, while her compatriot, Ogunkoya, won a bronze in the women’s 400m.

Ace boxer Duncan Dokiwari won a bronze medal as well.

Since that historic performance about 28 years ago, subsequent performances in the quadrennial Olympics had been measured by the performances in the 1996 Games.

Till date, for Nigeria, no Olympics show has outperformed the 1996 spectacle.

Indeed, Nigerians had wondered why subsequent Team Nigeria failed to replicate the feat recorded at 1996 Olympics.

While the flag-off of the 2024 Olympics remains just few days to go, Nigerians are, no doubt, expecting the present squad of 82 sportsmen and women to equal and surpass that record.

Nigeria’s powerful squad in athletics is led by the country’s Queen of the track and World Record holder, Oluwatobiloba Amusan, in company of Rosemary Chukwuma, Favour Ofili, Tima Godbless, Ella Onojuvwevwo in Women’s 400m as well as Esther Joseph, at the Games.

Others in the mix include Ruth Usoro (Women’s long jump); Ese Brume (Women’s Long jump); Prestina Oluchi Ochoogor, Obiageri Amaechi (Women’s discus); Ashley Anumba, Chioma Onyekwere, Oyesade Olatoye (Women’s hammer throw); Women’s 4×100 metres Relay and Mixed 4×400 metres relay.

Nigeria’s Super Falcon also return to the show in the Football event with an 18-woman squad after several years absence.

The Super Falcons, in a tough group with Champions Spain, Brazil and former world champions Japan, are, however, tipped for a podium finish at the Games in spite of the odds against them.

According to the Secretary-General of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Tunde Popoola, Nigeria has a strong football team to scale though their group.

”Also, we expect medals in Athletics, Weightlifting and Wrestling. We will surprise Nigerians with bags of medals,” he said.

Another female team, D’Tigress will also aim to better their record in the female orBasketball event with their 12 players on parade.

Nigeria will also parade three boxers to be led by Olaitan Olaore, who aims for a good show in men’s heavyweight; Dolapo Omole, who will also compete in men’s featherweight category; and Cynthia Ogunsemilore, who reigns in the women’s lightweight class.

It is worthy of note that, for the first time since 2016, Nigeria will send three boxers to the Olympics

Also, Nigeria will have high hopes in Weightlifting relying on the form of Rafiatu Lawal and Adijat Olarinoye.

The 24-year-old Olarinoye is not new on the world stage as she has earlier won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years ago.

She will seek to make Nigerians proud at a bigger podium at the Paris Olympics.

In other sports Nigeria will have two women in Canoeing, one female representative in Cycling while Aruna Quadri with Olajide Omotayo will lead the men in table tennis alongside Offiong Edem and Fatima Bello in the women’s category.

Taekwondo will also feature one female, Weightlifting will have two females while Wrestling will have a male and five females for a total of six athletes.

Team Nigeria will be fielding 20 males and 62 females at the Paris games.

The Minister of Sports Development, Sen. John Owan-Enoh, knowing the task ahead and the need for Nigeria to improve on their performance has been talking and doing the work to get the athletes in top shape ahead of the quadrennial games to be hosted by France.

At the presentation of N100 million donated by the House of Representative members, the minister said that the aspiration of the ministry was to surpass previous best Olympic record achieved in 1996, at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

He also said that the cash contribution from House of Representatives would go to athletes.

He also announced increased allowance and bonuses will accrue to the athletes.

Owan-Enoh said, ”Just like it was with the African Games in Accra, Ghana, I will spell out from A-Z, the entitlements for our athletes.

”My aspiration is for the nation to surpass our previous record from our best Olympic Games performance in 1996.

”We’ve been working on this goal through our preparations, arrangements, and performance team working with athletes in Germany. I am getting reports on the progress every day.”

”We want to get our athletes to feel appreciated and wanted by our country.”

He also said, ”The entire N100 million donation from the Federal House of Representatives will entirely go to the athletes.”

In addition to this, athletes will receive local camping allowance, foreign training grants, foreign training camp allowances, Olympic Games allowances, and winning bonuses.

The Minister also told newsmen in Abuja that the Federal Government had approved more than N12 billion for Team Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Games.

The Minister’s commitment to transparency and support for the athletes underscore the federal government’s dedication to ensuring Team Nigeria’s success at the Games.

As the clock ticks with few days to Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Owan-Enoh said that his ministry, as the supervising arm, was ticking all the boxes.

He said that the atmosphere was frenetic and excitement palpable as showmanship and calisthenics set the stage for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

He said that Team Nigeria is in top spirits as it prepares to fly its colors at this quadrennial sporting showpiece of global attention.

He also said that Nigeria’s contingent encompasses talented and world-class athletes who are set to take the world by storm.

He said, ”With several months of preparation and training, athletes such as Oluwatobiloba Amusan, Ese Brume, Blessing Oborodudu, the two Favours (Ashe and Ofili), Odunayo Adekouroye, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, Aruna Quadri, among other names too numerous to mention, the nation flies to Paris with strong hopes.”

Sen. Owan-Enoh also urged Nigerians to throw their weight behind the nation throughout the Games.

”Our athletes are putting in tremendous effort and dedication in their preparations.

”We are confident that with the support of every Nigerian, our team will excel and make the nation proud,” he said.

Owan-Enoh said that following the domestic camping, the contingent proceeded on foreign camping to acclimatise, focus and step up preparations for the Games.

”The Super Falcons camped in Spain, while the other athletes opened camping in Saarbrucken, Germany,” he said.

He also said that the prioritisation of the welfare of athletes had been demonstrated by the increase in bonuses and allowances payable to them.

”Additionally, domestic camping allowances, foreign training grants, foreign training allowances, Olympic Games allowances, and winning bonuses will be given to ensure our athletes are well-supported.

”Let’s unite in support of our athletes as they embark on this remarkable journey.

”Our aspiration is not just to participate but to excel and bring home the medals,” Owan-Enoh said.

News Agency of Nigeria.