Nigeria’s participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics ended in disappointment as the team failed to secure a single medal. Hannah Reuben’s loss in the Women’s Freestyle 76kg wrestling event on Saturday marked the end of Nigeria’s campaign at the Games.
Despite a strong showing in qualifying events and a significant investment of N12 billion by President Bola Tinubu, Team Nigeria’s performance was marred by heartbreaking losses and administrative lapses. The team’s 77 athletes participated in 12 events but were unable to translate their continental dominance into Olympic success.
This marks the first time since the 2012 London Games that Nigeria has returned home from the Olympics without a medal. Minister of Sports Development John Enoh described the performances as a “disaster” and vowed to take immediate action to address the issues, including reviewing the leadership of sporting federations.
Nigeria’s poor showing at the Paris Games echoes previous disappointments in 1952 Helsinki, 1956 Melbourne, 1960 Rome, 1968 Mexico, 1980 Moscow, and 1988 Seoul, where the country also failed to secure any medals.
The Minister of Sports Development has promised to take steps to prevent future occurrences of such disappointing performances, including reviewing the election process for sporting federation leaders.
