Sports
‘Nigerian Men Must Step Up In Paris’
Retired table tennis player and five-time Olympian, Bose Kaffo, has called on Nigerian male athletes to raise their game at Paris 2024 Olympics, emphasising that the country’s hopes for medals cannot solely rest on female athletes.
Speaking in an interview with Tidesports source, Kaffo acknowledged the impressive performances of Nigeria’s female athletes but stressed the need for their male counterparts to up the ante and match their success.
“We have the likes of Tobi Amusan and other ladies competing at the highest level. Nobody will go to the Olympics without being prepared because every step in the games can lift you to another height. The Olympic Games are the apex for any athlete. So, the men must step up,” Kaffo insisted.
The seven-time African Games gold medalist also highlighted the challenges in Nigeria’s preparation for the Games, noting that winning an Olympic medal requires years of investment and planning.
“The Olympics medal is not something you are going to win within three years; you have to invest like six years of hard work. You need to have concrete plans on the ground,” she added.
Taiwo Popoola, Vice President of the Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, echoed Kaffo’s sentiments, emphasising the need for continued investment in coaches and administrators to enhance Nigeria’s overall performance.
Vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, foremost Sports Marketer and founder of Okpekpe Road Race, Mike Itemuagbor and top Sports Journalist and Media Strategist, Mitchel Obi have lent their voices in support of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).
The personalities with backgrounds in sports administration, marketing and media spoke separately in commendation of the festival, an initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with Dunamis Icon as consultants.
“This is a positive addition to the evolving sports business ecosystem because it is not just a springboard for identifying talents, it also offers a platform to truly hone the skills of those already discovered”, remarked Obi, who served as Special Advisor to a former Sports Minister, late Anthony Ikhazabor.
He said the festival will be a flagship event in the region that would trigger interest in sports among the youths and people of the region.
Edo State-born Itemuagbor commended the NDDC for the decision to add sports in the list of their intervention projects in the region, adding that: “This speaks directly to the problem of youth restiveness which is of great concern to our people.”
Raphael Onyedika has now emerged as a major doubt for the Super Eagles’ must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
The midfielder was forced out early from last week’s league game against Standard Liege.
He has not recovered from the injury and so will miss today’s league match against Gent and may also miss a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Aston Villa yesterday.
The Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before they face Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later in crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Al-Khalood defender, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his experience on the difficulties of winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while describing it a must win trophy.
The former Watford FC defender has competed in the tournament three times but has yet to lift the trophy.
“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it. That remains my ultimate goal,” he told Tidesports source.
“It means so much to me and all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”