In his inaugural address as the 35th President of the United States of America, President J.F Kennedy gave the world a famous patriotic quote.
” ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.
The above quote has empowered Americans and a lot of people across the globe to give their best for their country.
About the quote, 99% of Nigerian Athletes who have represented the country in major international events have done so with their resources with little or no support from the government.
In 2016, Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi saved the “cash-strapped” Nigeria Football Olympic team (U-23) ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games five days before the opening ceremony with a sum of 30 thousand US dollars, – almost 50 million naira in today’s foreign exchange rate.
Mikel Obi organised travel, paid for meals and booked training pitches while the team was trying to physically and tactically prepare for the games with no input from the Nigeria Football Federation.
The Amaju Pinnick-led NFF even denied the benevolent act of the former Stoke player; surprisingly, the team got a bronze medal without input from the Nigeria Football Federation.
It is ridiculous in the case of Nigeria that after athletes have given their best for the country to qualify for major tournaments, the sports administrators will thwart their efforts to claim global recognition.
In many instances is the case of Favour Chukwuma Ofili, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Olympics Committee
The sprinter has done a lot for Nigeria since 16 years of age when she made the national team in 2018 despite the country’s depilated infrastructure amidst a poor administrative structure that has no concern for the welfare of her athletes.
Anytime Favour Chukwuma Ofili is in the news for something different from winning medals and breaking records, it is always caused by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Olympic Committee, and the incidents always negate her reputation.
Around July, at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, in what is supposed to be Favour’s debut Olympic game, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced that 20 athletes from seven countries have been ruled out of the quadrennial games.
Half of the 20 Athletes were Nigerians, including Favour Ofili and the African record holder in the women’s hammer throw, Annette Echikunwoke; the latter ditched Nigeria and switched her allegiance back to the United States in June 2022.
Sadly, in her reaction to the incident on her X account, Annette wrote that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria informed her of the decision on her 25th birthday.
Annette is presently at Paris Olympic representing the United States after winning the US Olympic trials in the hammer throw event.
2008 Olympic long jump silver medallist Blessing Okagbare took a swipe at the Tonobok Okowa-led AFN board as she posted on social media berating the officials of the federation of gross incompetence in 2021 ” The Sports system in Nigeria is so flawed and we Athletes, are always at the receiving end of the damages “
For the second time in three years in two Olympic games, Favour Ofili has been at the receiving end of Tonobok Okowa’s gross incompetent administration, but in this case, in conjunction with the Nigeria Olympics Committee led by Engineer Habu Ahmed Gumel.
Ofili was expected to complete three events at the Paris Olympics – 100m, 200m and 4X100m relay but three days before Friday’s Athletic heats, she was informed that she was not registered for the 100m event she qualified for.
In her dismay at the news, she shared her displeasure on her X account; up till now, no one has been held responsible for the incompetence.
When the Late J.F Kennedy was giving his speech on Friday, January 20, 1961, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C . he never thought there would be a country like Nigeria that would not give to her citizens but she will thwart her citizens’ efforts to giving to the nation a credible name.
In Summary, I will advise Favour Ofili to consider switching allegiance to other nations that prioritise Athletes’ welfare, technology-enhanced facilities, and good administration policy that believe in merit and the rule of the game because no one from Tonobok Okowa to Engineer Habu Gumel will ever resign because of their incompetence even if their negligence will cost her life or career.
With all the records she has made in a few years of her career, no sensible country will want to toy with such an asset apart from Nigeria.
If your country doesn’t put your interest at heart, put your interest ahead.
Culled from Mudashiru Shittu page of Facebook.
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