Ahead 2012 Olympic Games: Ogba Wants Better Preparation For Athletes

Following the third place finish of Team Nigeria at the recently concluded All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique, the President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Solomon Ogba, has disclosed that for the country to put up a better showing at the Olympics Games, there is need to prepare adequately for the Games.

Despite the not too-impressive preparation, Nigeria won a total of 31 gold medals to place third behind Egypt and the eventual winner, South Africa at the Pan Africa Games in Maputo,Mozambique.

Nigeria had just a gold medal short of Egypt, who took over the third position on the last day of the tourney.

Ogba said the country cannot afford not to start preparation in earnest as the Olympics is more demanding in terms of the high level competitiveness among nations participating at the Games.

The athletics boss said: “There is need for us to continue from where we stopped at the All Africa Games. There are no two ways about it, the earlier we start the better our performance and the good for the nation.

“Our performance in Maputo cannot be said to be the best we could put up, but considering the type of preparation we had, it is a commendable feat.

“Our track and field athletes showed that with adequate preparation and better incentives they would do better. And who knows we would have finished at the apex of the table.

“Hence, I will like to call on the National Sports Commission, NSC, and the Federal Government to provide the needed logistics and funds for early camping of our qualified athletes for next year’s Olympics in London .”

Ogba agreed that Team Nigeria’s good showing in Maputo was due to sheer determination by the athletes as widely claimed, but quick to state that there is a limit where determination can take athletes to at the world stage. “There is an extent to wish self determination can take one to when contesting with the best at an Olympics stage.We cannot compare what we will be confronted with in London to that of Mozambique, it’s a different ball game in all perspectives,”he said.

—Bamidele Olowosagba