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Sports Updates
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games have proven challenging for Team Nigeria, with several athletes and teams unable to progress past the initial stages in various events.
Boxing – Men/Women:
Cynthia Ogunsemilore faced a setback when she was provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance before her opening fight.
Similarly, Nigeria’s and African champion Olaitan Olaore suffered a defeat (5-0) in the men’s 92kg category, ending his Olympic journey.
Table Tennis – Men/Women’s Singles:
Nigeria’s top table tennis players also had a tough outing. Quadri Aruna, a leading figure in African table tennis, was narrowly defeated (4-3) in the men’s singles, while Omotayo Olajide lost (4-1) in the first round.
The women’s singles saw similar disappointments, with Offiong Edem and Fatimo Bello both exiting the competition after 4-0 losses in their respective first-round matches.
Badminton – Men’s Singles:
Anuoluwapo Juwon Opeyori’s Olympic campaign ended early as he bowed out after losing both his first and second group matches in the men’s singles category.
Football – Women:
The Super Falcons of Nigeria concluded their Olympic run without securing a single point, losing all three of their group stage matches.
Swimming – Men/Women’s 50m Freestyle:
Tobi Sijuade narrowly missed advancing in the Men’s 50m Freestyle, finishing third in his heat with a time of 23.34 seconds, which was insufficient for a semifinal spot.
Adaku Nwandu, a 16-year-old Nigerian swimmer born in Beijing, also missed out on the Women’s 50m Freestyle final.
She placed second in her heat with a time of 26.62 seconds, but it was not among the 16 fastest times that qualified for the final.
Athletics – Men/Women’s 100m:
Godson Oghenebrume did not appear in the Men’s 100m heats despite qualifying, while Favour Ofili was ruled out of the women’s 100m due to an oversight by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), which failed to register her.
Godbless missed advancing after finishing sixth in her heat with a time of 11.33 seconds, and Rosemary Chukwuma ended her run with an eighth-place finish in the 200m semifinal, clocking in at 11.39 seconds.
High Jump – Women:
Temitope Adeshina did not advance to the final in the women’s High Jump, finishing ninth in Group B with a jump of 1.88m.
Athletics – Mixed 4X400m:
Nigeria’s mixed 4x400m relay team, consisting of Samuel Ogazi, Ella Onojuvwevwo, Ifeanyi Ojeli, and Patience Okon-George, set a new national record with a time of 3:11.99. However, their fourth-place finish in Heat 2 was not enough to qualify for the final.
Discus – Women:
The Nigerian discus team, featuring Ashley Anumba, Chioma Onyekwere, and Obiageri Amaechi, all exited the competition in the first round.
Shot Put – Men:
Chukwuebuka Enekwechi achieved a respectable fifth-place finish in the men’s shot put with a throw of 21.42m.
As Team Nigeria navigates the ups and downs of the Olympics, the athletes’ efforts and determination continue to inspire. Despite the setbacks, the experience gained will be invaluable for future competitions.
