THE recently concluded 2024 Olympics and Paralympics had athletes from around the world competing in various games including basketball, badminton, track and field, among others.

The Olympics took place from July 26 to August 11 and the Paralympics followed from August 28 to September 8, both held in Paris.

At the Olympics, Team Nigeria faced stiff competition featuring 88 athletes in 12 sports and ending without any medal. The team’s overall performance was somewhat disappointing.

The team had a poor outing this year at the Olympics with notable medal prospects including, Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Ese Brume, among others, falling short of expectations. 

Nigeria’s participation this year at the event was dented with a series of controversies. The team faced a series of setbacks.

From Favour Ofili’s name being omitted from the 100m women’s race despite being qualified to Ese Ukpeseraye competing with a borrowed bike after she got stranded and had no bike to participate in the competition till she got saved by a German team.

Despite the team’s poor performance, the women’s basketball team, D’Tigress made it to the quarter finals at the women’s basketball tournament, emerging the first African team to reach that stage of olympics basketball.

Meanwhile, the country’s sports minister John Enoh apologised to Nigerians following the team’s poor performances.

Paralympic team shines

The Nigerian Paralympic team, on the other hand, stole the show. Finishing in 40th position out of 83 participating countries, the team won seven medals, including two gold, three silver, and two bronze.

Nigeria’s first medal at the Paralympics was won by Eniola Bolaji, who made history becoming the first African to win a medal in badminton at the olympic or paralympic games.

Esther Nworgu secured Nigeria’s second medal, winning silver in the women’s up to Bring para-powerlifting event.

Onyinyechi Mark won Nigeria’s first gold at the paralympics where she set a new world record with a weight lift of 147kg at the women’s 61kg powerlifting category.

Another powerlifter, Folashade Oluwafemiayo, broke two world records to win a gold medal.

In the women’s 86 kg para-powerlifting category, her lift of 167 kg not only smashed her previous world record, it also made her the first para-athlete in history to accomplish such a feat and earned Nigeria its second gold medal at the paralympic games.

While Bose Omolayo secured a silver in the women’s up to 79kg para-powerlifting category with a lift of 145kg, Flora Ugwunwa also won silver in the Women’s Javelin F54 category with a throw of 19.26m.

There were, however,concerns regarding the resources and support provided to these athletes in light of the difference in performance between the paralympic and olympic teams.