Monday, October 1, 2018, makes it exactly 58 years since Nigeria gained independence from Britain and in the area of sports development the country has witnessed the good, bad and ugly aspects in terms of achievements in this sector of the economy.
Prior to independence, Nigeria made her first international appearance at the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952, but triumphed in 1954, when Emmanuel Ifeajuna won a gold medal in the high jump at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff.
However, it’s not out of place to state emphatically that it was this great feat by Ifeajuna that opened up the floodgate of achievements by future Nigerian sportsmen and women in major sporting tourneys worldwide. Also the establishment of National Sports Council (NSC) in 1962 which was later renamed as National Sports Commission in 1971, helped to coordinate and integrate efforts to raise the standard of performance of athletes in sports in Nigeria.
Aside the aforementioned, NSC also helped to encourage the development, organization and participation of sportsmen and women in Nigeria.
At present, the National Sports Commission promotes over twenty four different sports, each being organized by Boards.
Notable sports that are played in Nigeria include: Athletics (track and field), Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Chess, Cricket, Cycling, Football, Gymnastics, Golf, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Tennis, Rowing, Shooting, Squash rackets, Swimming, Table tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Power- lifting, Wrestling, Traditional sports and a host of other Para- sports (sports for the physically challenged).
As kicker, the notable achievements and failures of Nigeria in the area of sport development are too many to mention in a jiffy as citizens in the country celebrates the 58th independence anniversary.
From the cheery side of Nigeria’s achievements in sports, it could be recalled that the country emerged on the international football scene in 1960 when it first entered the World Cup, but failed to qualify for the finals. However, it eventually qualified for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in USA.
Back home, and following the birth of the Nigeria Football Association (since 1945) the Nigerian National League began in 1972 when five teams entered the league. The rapid discovery of talented footballers helped the League to swell to 12 teams by 1978 and by the 1980s, the national football team, the Super Eagles (formerly known as the Green Eagles) had become a team to reckon with at the international level.
At a time, the Super Eagles was adjudged the best team in Africa and one of the best ten in the world.
Still on the journey so far, Nigeria won the first World Cup in the under-16 category in China in 1985 and came second in the same category two years later in Canada.
The Under-20 soccer team, Flying Eagles, won the bronze medal in the Junior World Cup competition in the Soviet Union in 1985; won silver medal in Saudi Arabia in 1989 and in the Netherlands in 2005 to set the tone for Nigeria as a top youth- football playing nation.
Currently, the Super Eagles has won the African Cup of Nations thrice in 1980, 1994 and 2013 and was the finalist three times in the competition. They also have reached the second round of the World Cup in 1994, 1998, 2014 and 2018.
Aside the aforementioned, the achievements of Nigeria further came to the fore when the Dream Team were crowned Champions (Gold Medalists) in Olympic Games in Atlanta, U.S.A in 1996; a performance which Nigerians and many Super Eagles fans across the world will remember for a long time.
Still on the sunny side of Nigeria’s sporting prowess, it could be recalled that the under-17 team tutored by Coach Yemi Tella won the Gold Medal in the 2007 Junior World Cup.
Therefore from the foregoing, the story of the Super Eagles prowess in international football cannot be complete if this piece fails to acknowledge the role of individual star players that made the minds of football lovers in the country vibrate with great excitement. And top among them includes Christian Chukwu, Emmanuel Okala, Henry Nwosu, Segun Odegbami, Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi, Mudashiru Lawal, Sunday Oliseh, Taribo West, Samson Siasia, Tijani Babangida, Victor Ikpeba, Sam Okwaraji, George Finidi, Emmanuel Amunike, Celestine Babayaro, Austin Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Victor Agali, Peter Odemwinge, Mikel Obi, Ahmed Musa to mention but a few.
Today, the Super Eagles are ranked among the best teams, not only in Africa but in the world!
In the area of female football, the country boasts of a strong Women’s football team, the Super Falcons, which, as of 2007, has won the seven editions of the African Women’s Football championship organised since the creation of this championship in 1991. Driven by talented players, like Florence Omogbemi, Ajuma Ameh, Ann Chiejine, and Effionanwan Ekpo, among others, took the world by storm by reaching the quarter final of the 1999 Women’s World Cup and the 2004 Olympic Games.
Till date, the Super Falcons, Falconets (U-20) and Flamengoes (U-17) have continued to win lots of laurels for the country in international football.
In other aspects of sports, Nigerian boxers have continued to rule the world of boxing following the initial exploits of Hogan “Kid” Bassey, featherweight champion (1957-1959); Dick Tiger, middleweight champion (1962 – 1963) and Bash Ali, cruiser weight champion (1987).
However, it’s heartwarming to reveal that Samuel Peter also ruled the pugilist trade when he clinched the World Heavyweight title in 2007.
At the Olympic Games, Nigeria have produced prominent boxers and many others who have done the country proud in the sport. Tops among them are Nojim Maiyegun (Tokyo 1964), Isaac Ikhouria (Munich 1972), Peter Konyegwachie (Los Angeles 1984), David Izonritei and Richard Igbineghu (Barcelona 1992) and Duncan Dokiwari (Atlanta 1996).
Also, as early as 1976, some Nigeria boxers such as Davidson Andeh, Christopher Ossai and Monday Addis, won most of their fights during the National team’s tour of the defunct German Democratic Republic and the Scandinavian countries thereby confirming Nigeria as a top boxing nation.
In athletics, Nigeria’s athletes have also won Olympic medals in long jump, 4 X 400m relay and several other track and field events. Nigerian athletics have been constantly in the international spotlight, with dozens of her athletes becoming professional athletes in Europe and America.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) runs majority of the athletic competitions in the country.
In the area of sports for the physically challenged, Nigeria has made her mark at both continental and Olympic levels. Several medals have been won by Nigerian athletes in the various sports, particularly, power lifting events.
Among other sporting events that are gaining prominence in the country includes tennis.
This game is played in all parts of the country and has gained popularity since world class players like Nduka Odizor emerged. Today, there are tennis courts in almost every city in the country and many more are being constructed.
Several championships in the country attract a good number of international tennis stars from many African countries like, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy and the United States of America.
Besides, the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) has featured in a number of international open championships.
In scrabble, it could also be recalled that Nigeria’s Wellington Jighere won the 2015 World Scrabble Championships after beating England’s Lewis Mackay in the final.
Therefore, from the foregoing, the country’s performances in many other sports are quite encouraging. In team sports like Hockey, Basketball, Handball and Volleyball, Nigeria’s teams have been victorious in many international competitions.
Cricket, cycling and Judo are other sports which are gaining popularity in the country. Badminton and Squash Racket are the most recent sports where Nigerians have performed creditably in the last few years of her independence.
As noted earlier, the sport industry in Nigeria has witnessed lots of tragedies that brought pain, anguish and regret among her sport-loving citizens.
The country witnessed the other side of the game as some of her great talents in the game died in action while playing the beautiful game called soccer for country or their clubs respectively.
Tops among the few Nigerian footballers who died in active service include, Entourans Intachor. The 25-year-old Nigerian striker played for Al Mereik, in Sudan. Intachor, collapsed and died during the battle for the championship of Sudan few years back.
Samuel Okwaraji was another Nigerian footballer whose death on August 12, 1993, threw the country into great mourning. He died while playing for Nigeria against Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at the main bowl of the National Stadium Lagos.
Also it could be recalled that Emmanuel Ogoli, collapsed on the pitch while playing for Ocean Boys FC, while Endurance Idahor collapsed and passed on while playing for club side, Al-Merreikh.
The Point gathered that Idahor died in the ambulance on the way to hospital.
Other players who died while playing football also include Chinonso Ihelwere Henry who collapsed while playing for Delta Turcea and also Bobsam Elejiko who slumped and died while playing for K. Merksem S.C.
Orobosan Adun also passed on while playing for Warri Wolves few years ago and Shetemi Ayetigbo whose sad death occurred while playing for Dublin club, Belvedere.
The list in this category seems endless, but it is worthy to note that David Oniya, John Ikoroma and Michael Umanika respectively died while playing for their various clubs abroad.
Still on the ugly side of the country’s sports industry; in over 13 Olympics appearances, Nigeria has only managed to win two gold medals from long jump and football. This is indeed a miserable record when compared with what other smaller African nations like Kenya and Ethiopia have achieved.
It must be mentioned here that Nigeria’s saving grace are the Paralympians who have remained very consistent in their performances. Most of these physically challenged athletes like Monday Emoghawve, Edith Nzuruike, Adekundo Adesoji, Eucharia Njideka and Yakubu Adesokan took turns to break and set new world records in their events.
However, as Nigeria celebrates her 58th Independence, the sporting fraternity will not be left out of the celebrations in her journey to sporting stardom. Though the country has not lived up to her full potentials in sports from the view of many analysts, the sector has remained one of Nigeria’s most potent agent of unity just as it is a serious diplomatic tool.
The present Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung is working assiduously towards repositioning the sports industry as his efforts are yielding the desired fruits following the historic qualification of the D’Tigress for the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIBA World Cup in Spain.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Point, Dalung said Nigeria has achieved a lot in the area of sports over the last three years he came into office because the country was able to democratise access to leadership of the various sports federations leading to greater successes in the various sports.
“I assumed office in November 2015 with the mandate to supervise the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes on youth and sports development.
“Towards wealth creation, youth empowerment, physical fitness and wellbeing; achieving excellence in sports, national unity and sustainable development,” he said.
Dalung revealed that the ministry is working to provide sustainable policies and programmes in conjunction with other stakeholders to promote and enhance sports development.
“Appointment into the board of the sporting federations was fully democratised. This singular action informed the emergence of credible leadership for the federations.
“The immediate dividend of which has been the manifest improvement in the performance of the federations in various continental and international tournaments,” the minister said.
He said that democratisation of the sports federation led to the country winning eight gold, two silver and one bronze medal in African Wrestling Championship in Marrakesh, Morocco.
“The country also won one silver medal at the World Championship in Paris, France.
“Nigeria’s foremost female wrestler, Odunayo Adekuroye was elected as an Athletes Representative to the United World Wrestling Federation.
“Daniel Igali, the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation was also elected a member of the United World Wrestling Federation Technical Committee,” Dalong said.
He said other recent achievements of Nigeria includes; winning 13 gold, four silver and one bronze in the Junior and Youth Weightlifting championships held in Uganda.
He gave other achievements as, female hockey winning bronze at the Africa Cup of Nation, and five Nigerian coaches certified as Grade Three Coaches by the International Hockey
Federation.
From the foregoing, it is clear that as the country celebrates her 58th year of independence there is still room for improvement looking back at the journey so far in the industry.
