How Nigeria can Win 5 Medals at Tokyo Olympics

Mr Bambi Akani, Founder of Making of Champions (MoCs) Athletic Club, says with serious preparation for six months, Nigeria can win, at least, five medals in the Tokyo Olympics.

Akani made the prediction in the third MoC’s athletes weekly bulletin (a platform where the activities of Nigerian athletes – home and abroad – are reviewed).

The bulletin was made available to Newsmen on Tuesday.

Akani said some Nigerias were doubting if Nigeria could win medals at the Games, considering the fact that the nation failed to get to the podium in Track and Field Events at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Akani said that athletics alone could give Nigeria, at least, five medals at the quadrennial showpiece which would begin in July.

According to him, the last time Nigeria made a podium appearance in athletics at the Olympics was in 2008 when Blessing Okagbare and the quartet of Franca Idoko, Halima Ismaila, Gloria Kemasuode and Damola Osayomi, won bronze in long jump and women’s 4x100m, respectively.

The MoC founder hoped that the negative trend could be stemmed by focusing on certain events, especially relay, ahead of the Tokyo Games.

“Nigeria has won 25 Olympic medals in total, with 13 of them coming from athletics, but since 2008, the nation has only one Olympic medal – bronze in football at Rio 2016.

He noted that in the past, Nigeria could expect to have two men in the 100m or 200m finals at the Olympics (Atlanta ’96 and Barcelona ’92).

He also noted that Nigeria was a medal contender in the Olympic relay, saying that eight of Nigeria’s 13 athletics medals in Olympic history were in relay.

Akani, however, said that in spite decades of medals drought, there could be hope in the new generation of athletes showing promises that could make Tokyo the nation’s best Olympic after Atlanta ’96, where Nigeria won four medals in athletics.

“In 2019, Ese Brume won Nigeria’s first World Championship medal in six years in long jump, while Tobi Amusan narrowly missed out on a medal in the 100m hurdles.

“They will likely be Nigeria’s greatest individual medal hopefuls in Tokyo, but don’t count out the likes of Divine Oduduru and Blessing Okagbare to contest for 100m or 200m medals.

“Nigeria can win five medals in athletics at the Tokyo Olympics, but this will not happen by chance.

“As a nation, we must have a flawless preparation to bring our relay teams to train and compete together despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nigeria can actually contest for all five relay medals in Tokyo but not without putting in the work; South Africa’s sprinters are already in relay camps even before the pandemic.”

Akani noted that Nigeria’s 4x100m athletes lost to Team Ghana at the 2019 African Games.

“Without adequate preparation, another barren Olympic Games for Nigeria in relay may be inevitable,” he said.

Akani said MoCs had played a significant role in reviving athletics in Nigeria, with its Track Club producing the likes of national champions Joy Udo-Gabriel (in 100m) and Emmanuel Ojeli (in 400m), as well as national 200m silver medallist, Jerry Jakpa.