Nigeria Rio Olympics show of shame.

   You see, in my country Nigeria, sports is grossly defiled. Look at the just concluded Rio Olympics where we sent athletes on a wild goose chase. Like sending a child to go kill an ox with bare hands, we asked athletes to go and compete for medals on empty stomach and the lowest level of motivation  against well prepared athletes from more serious nations.


Before I continue, I will love to give honour to whom it is due. Congratulations to the men's football team for bringing home the bronze medal. Kudos to Team Nigeria captain John Mikel Obi. Bailing the country out of many embarrassing financial situations in Brazil is praiseworthy. He decided not to allow the country be put to shame. Reliable sources claim the Chelsea midfielder was nicknamed 'Odogwu' by his Team Nigeria colleagues. This is totally related to his good deeds in Rio. 'Odogwu' is an Igbo term that can be said to mean 'strong man'. The vast majority of well meaning Nigerians join in praising the young man. May he excel in all he does. I am not saying that Mikel is larger than Nigeria, but my prayer is that person wen big pass am go do for am. Isee!

A Japanese Doctor, Katsuya Takasu made good his promise and presented the Men's football team a reward of $390,000 following their third place victory. He gave out a cheque of $200,000 in Samson Siasia's name and $190,000 in Mikel Obi's name. By that, Dr. Takasu must be said to be not only a philanthropist and lover of Nigerian football, but a wise man. Knowledgeable Nigerians expected drama before the hand over and were not disappointed. Rumour has it that NFF officials went ahead to hijack the money but Dr. Takasu was ready for them. The cheques proved to be the stopper. The processing must be made by Mikel and Siasia. The fury of the officials can only be imagined but then it is orgasmic to the rest of us. Shame of a federation and Ministry. What was their business with the money? These are players that were owed monies yet they had the guts to go for a hijack of the largesse. Proudly shameless people! Just imagine what a little government support would have done to boost morale and medal chances of the country. It has been difficult processing the Nigerian Sports Ministry's shameless approach to the Olympics and then this! From leaving athletes to paddle their way to Rio, abandoning the men's footbal team in Atlanta, unpaid bonuses and allowances, flight drama and then hustling for a reward meant for the team? Walahi we revel in shame.

The Nigerian Sports Ministry should cover it's face shamefully. Our beret wearing sports minister should talk less because whenever he talks one looks around to see the child that spoke. One wonders what qualified him for the role of apex sports administrator in the first place. So long as Nigerian Sports Ministry remain a bedrock of politics and political settlement, we will never get it right in sports. Many nations that used to see us as giant in sports are now our superiors. Rio Olympics presented the government in general and Ministry of Sports particularly a window to garner good will. They threw it away. Governments in many emerging nations fail to realise that sports is the singular most unifying factor of any country. Harness it well and voila...you win. Throw it away and you will keep settling disputes with brute force; a method that will never bring lasting solution to youth issues.

In all seriousness, the NFF should consider naming the glass house after Dr. Katsuya Takasu. He has made more impact on Nigerian football more than any Nigerian or even the government in recent times. Also, a 'John Mikel Obi Building' in the Ministry of Sports will not be a bad idea. The young man saved us blushes.

Did you hear that Niger Republic bundled us out of the U-17 AFCON qualifiers? A tournament we have come to see as our birthright? Story for another day. All in all, sports wise, we are done for.