Owolabi Blames Nigeria’s Poor Olympic Performance On Last-Minute Preparations

Felix Owolabi, a former Green Eagles player and 1980 AFCON winner, has criticized the “fire brigade approach” taken by Nigerian officials and athletes, attributing it to the country’s disappointing performance at the recently concluded Paris Olympics.

In an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Ibadan, Owolabi stated that the lack of proper preparation, including short camping periods, hindered the athletes’ chances of success.

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“Nigerian athletes cannot win Olympic medals with this fire brigade approach. The Olympics isn’t a competition where athletes can just gather in camp for a few weeks and expect to excel,” Owolabi remarked.

He pointed out that nations like the United States, Japan, and China begin their Olympic preparations immediately after the conclusion of the previous games. In contrast, Nigeria often relies on last-minute disbursement of funds, which he believes is insufficient for achieving the desired results.

Owolabi also highlighted the poor state of sports facilities across Nigeria as a significant factor in the athletes’ underperformance. He lamented the deterioration of infrastructure, noting that in his playing days, stadia across the country were well-maintained and athletes were regularly invited for trials.

“Today, these facilities are lacking. We could harness the potential of our athletes with good trainers and coaches if we had proper sports facilities,” he added.

Owolabi concluded by urging Nigeria to reassess its approach to sports, emphasizing that many countries now use sports as a key driver for economic growth. “As a nation, we need to ask ourselves what exactly we want from sports,” he said.