Olympic is not to win but to participate. This must have been the words that motivated our great country to show only participation in the just concluded Olympic event in Brazil; Rio16. But come to think of it, those countries that went home with gold, silver and bronze medals, don’t they have an inkling of what the words above mean? They should also have come to participate like Nigeria so that at the end we may all leave together to allow the Olympic medals stay in Brazil.
The very good thing about Olympics is that, one gets to know the very next country hosting the event early enough. This will help the country get prepared and also help athletes fasten their belts again. For those that might have got medals in the concluded Olympic event, they would be more prepared to sink their names into the beautiful book of history. Just as those who muffed, would be getting prepared to do better at the next event. So saddening our country Nigeria doesn’t see things that way. One reason they have been excelling beautifully in every Olympic event they participate in.
I have no doubts that the coiner of the clause “Olympic is not to win but to participate” did that to help countries like ours feel among, a clause to compensate our efforts and time at the event in ensuring the success of others. What a compensation it is really!
We fumbled at the 2012 Olympics in London, and we had excuses like our athletes didn’t get to train well, among other unheard claims. I wouldn’t understand why parents would beat and snap at their children for not preparing early enough for examinations, when it actually is what their country preaches.
We are always very confident we can do things other nations can too, with just little time to practise, no wonder we are leaders in most of this things. I wouldn’t understand why our nation won’t see things the very right way; I think it’s the underdeveloped syndrome that is affecting us, because the developed nations show they are developed in almost all aspects if not all. Just take a look at the first ten countries at the just concluded Olympics, you will get my stand. While other nations are progressing we are too anyways, since the Minister of Sports considers bronze medal a success.
If a Minister can be proud of a bronze medal which they did nothing to help achieve, then we should all be celebrating the success or what do you think? Looking back at the time the Dream Team VI arrived the Olympic venue among others; one would begin to understand the relentless efforts of the authorities concerned in seeing through the success of their bronze medal. If there is on person who should be saying half bread is better than none, it should be Samson Siasia or the Captain himself, John Mikel Obi, and not the man who should have ensured things were fine before athletes leave for the country hosting the Olympics, and not that alone, ensuring they have a good stay while outside the country. Congratulations to the Dream Team VI and its officials, you made us proud!
Many nations came with new and young athletes, we were still seen parading our old stars, when we don’t even have a body that checks to know the welfare of the athletes, how would we have a body that would scout for new athletes that can fly the flag of our nation high? I wouldn’t know why some states like Lagos state still keep hosting sport festivals, when we aren’t seeing the products. We get to see young people performing wonderfully well in those events, and after few weeks they return back to the stage they used to be. No progress at all, only that they get one shinning thing like gold on their necks. The talents they aim at finding at the sport festivals are just to show the world that we have young stars too. Universities keep deceiving their selves too with hosting West African University Games (WAUG) and other events. What has it yielded? Have we got better people to represent our nations or those who will just go to Olympics to participate only and get to see faces of sport Icons like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and others.
The sporting events that used to give us hope is now failing us too, what sector can we then brag of? Developed nations have learnt their lessons from the just concluded Olympic in Brazil, they would return back to work on those lapses, so that they can triumph in subsequent outings. No, Nigeria wont, until months to the next Olympic, may be then we wouldn’t even get the half loaf we were forced to celebrate. The body governing the Sports world in our country isn’t fit to be there. The body has to be checked. We don’t want to lose the sport sector too.
Our athletes are back, let them know the next step, let them start now, enough of participation, we want to win too. Let’s leave the “Olympic is not to win but to participate” thing for other nations.