Nigerian sports at 54

on october 01, 2014 at 10:48 am in sports

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By JACOB AJOM
Prior to Nigeria’s independence in 1960,  few Nigerians had taken the international sporting arena by storm, and in the process engrained Nigeria’s name in the sands of time.

The likes of Emmanuel lfeajuna who won a gold medal in High Jump event during the 1954 Commonwealth Games, Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey who became the World Featherweight Boxing king in 1957 and Richard Ihetu, a.k.a. Dick Tiger who won the World Middleweight crown and later the World Light Heavyweight crown in the late 50s and early 1960s.

In 54 years, Nigerian sportsmen and women have entrenched the country’s name firmly among the comity of sporting nations.
Sports began to take serious roots in the country in 1963 when the National Sports Commission (NSC) was instituted under late Abraham Ordia as secretary.

The 60’s was a period of laying foundation and the only visible achievement was the qualification of Nigeria’s Green Eagles for the Olympic Games held in Mexico in 1968.

From left: Senate President David Mark; Captain of the Super Eagles, Joseph Yobo; President Goodluck Jonathan; his Wife Patience; Vice President Namadi Sambo and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal during a reception in honour of the Super Eagles at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Tuesday night.

In 1973, Nigeria hosted the 2nd All-Africa Games in Lagos and also introduced the National Sports Festival as a way of discovering athletes to represent the country in continental and international meets. The 1970’s also witnessed tremendous achievements. Nigeria’s senior football team won a gold medal in the 2nd All-Africa Games while the country’s contingent to the Games won an overall second position on the medals table. 1976 and 1977 saw the country tasting victories in continental championships through IICC Shooting Stars and Rangers International of Enugu in the Cup Winners Cup Competition.

The country’s record of achievements continued in the 1980s especially in football. The bronze medals won in 1976 and 1978 in the Africa Cup of Nations was improved upon in 1980 when the Christian Chukwu led Green Eagles won the Cup for the first time in Lagos. In 1984 and 1988, Nigeria again got to the finals of that championship but lost to Cameroon on both occasions to win the silver medals.

Surprisingly too, Nigeria’s Junior Eagles qualified for the first time to represent Africa in a Junior World Cup in Mexico. Although, Nigeria did not go beyond the first round having lost 0-3 to Brazil she beat highly rated USSR 1-0 and held Netherlands to a goalless draw.

In 1985, the Golden Eaglets, Nigeria’s U-17 football team went to China and conquered the world in the first ever FIFA U-17 World Cup. The victory took Nigerian football to a high pedestal, earning the nation respect. To prove Nigeria’s new found strength in football, the Nations Under-21 team went to Saudi Arabia for the World Cup in 1989 and lost narrowly in the final to Portugal. The “Miracle of Damman”, Nigeria’s victory over USSR after trailing four goals with only twenty- five minutes left, stunned the world.

It wasn’t only football that the country excelled in. Athletics also provided opportunities for splendid performances. Five U.S. based Nigerians won gold medals at the World University Games which took place in Edmonton, Canada: Sunday Uti (400m), Yusuf Ali (long jump), Ajayi Agbebaku (triple jump).

Innocent Egbunike (200m), and Chidi Imoh (100m). Nigeria went to the Olympic games in Los Angeles in 1984 and came back home with a silver medal in boxing through the efforts of Peter Konyegwachie and a bronze from the 4 x 400m male team led by Innocent Egbunike.

There has been a remarkable improvement over the achievements of the 1970s and 80s in the 90s. Chioma Ajunwa’s feat, remains indelible in Nigeria’s history,
At the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, Nigeria performed marvelously, winning five gold, 13 silver and seven bronze medals. In Victoria, Canada the country’s athletes even exceeded that of 1990 with 11 gold medals, 11 Silver and 14 bronze medals.

The country stormed the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 with the quartet of Olapade Adenikan, Chidi Imoh, Kayode Oluyemi and Davidson Ezinwa winning silver in the 4 x 100m, while the women led by irrepressible Mary Onyali captured the bronze medal in the same event. Two Nigerian boxers also won silver medals. Chioma Ajunwa also bagged an individual gold in the women’s Long Jump event at the Atlanta ‘ 96 Olympic Games. It was a moment of joy for all Nigerians.

Football in the 90’s took Nigeria to  greater heights. Between 1990 and 1994, Nigeria won silver, bronze and gold medals in the biannual Africa Cup of Nations competition. The latest victory in 2013 in South Africa came nineteen years after winning the cup in Tunisia.

Before now, BCC Lions FC of Gboko had won the Mandela Cup in 1990 while Shooting Stars Football Club of Ibadan won the maiden edition of the CAF Confederation Cup in 1992. Bendel Insurance FC of Benin also won the CAF cup in 1994 and also added the West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup to her kitty.

In 1994, Nigeria qualified to represent Africa in a senior World Cup for the first time and did it in grand style. She won her first World Cup match and advanced beyond the first round in her first attempt. Although the Eagles lost in the second round to eventual finalists Italy, they stunned the world with their brand of football and were ranked 5th globally by FIFA. That remains the highest attainment by an African team to date. Suddenly, Nigerian stars became the toast of big football clubs all over the world.

The Golden Eaglets in Japan won the FIFA under -17 championship making her the first country to achieve such feats. Nigeria with four titles and three runners up positions, holds one of the best records in this age grade tournament. She has won the tournament on four occasions: 1985, 1993, 2007and 2013 and runners up on three occasions: 1987, 2001 and 2009.

Nigerian football bounced back to global reckoning when in Atlanta 1996 Olympics, the country’s football team won the gold medal, thus becoming the first African country to achieve that feat. At the Beijing Olympics, the Samson Siasia tutored team got to the final but were stopped by a Lionel Messi inspired Argentina side.

The country’s senior football team, the  Super Eagles have had fluctuating fortunes in continental and world football. Between 1994 and 2014, the country qualified for the World Cup France ’98, Korea/Japan 2002, South Africa 2010 and lately Brazil 2014. On all these occasions, only the 1994 and 2014 World Cups did the country crossed the first round. Italy stopped Nigeria in the second round in 1994, while France did the same in 2014.

Nigeria has also produced great sports stars like Hakeem Olajuwon in Basketball, Nduka Odizor in lawn tennis, Mike Okpara(Power Mike), a former world wrestling champion, Atanda Musa, Rashidi Yekini, Stephen Keshi, Richard Owubokiri, Nwankwo Kanu, Sunday Oliseh, Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya, Chioma Ajunwa, the list is endless, who have made the nation proud these 54years.

The country’s male basketball team also qualified for the Olympics for the first time in 2012. At the London Games, the basketball team, like the entire Team Nigeria, did not do well. Nigeria returned from London without a medal.

But the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, this year marked a turning point. Nigerian sportsmen and women gave the country reason to cheer at the Glasgow Games when they finished in eighth position, winning 11 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze medals, surpassing their former outing in New Delhi, India.

It must be noted that the most outstanding athletes for the country have been women. Blessing Okagbare, like her predecessors, the Onyalis, Ogunkoyas, among others, carries the weight of Nigeria’s expectations in almost every international sports meet in recent times.

One cannot conclude the growth of Nigeria’s sports without the mention of special sports. The country’s special athletes have been spectacular in almost every competition they have taken part in. They deserve a special place in the annals of Nigerian sports.

In spite of these successes, the  country’s sporting world has tasted setbacks, disappointments and tragedies. Nigeria football suffered a major setback in 1977 when Nigeria’s Godwin Odiye’s own-goal stopped the country from attending her first World Cup competition in 1978. Other disappointments were in 1981 and 1989 when Nigeria was stopped by Algeria and Cameroon respectively under painful circumstances.

In 1989, FIFA sledgehammer fell on Nigeria and she was subsequently banned for two years from participating in age grade competitions due to discrepancies in ages of players who had played for Nigeria.

The Seoul Olympics of 1988 was another disaster for Nigerian athletes. Again like in 1980, the athletes came back without a single medal. Worst still was the Green Eagles team which had gone to the games as favorite but completely lost out. The death of Dele Udoh, Nigeria’s most promising 400m gold medal hopeful in 1979 took the sports community in Nigeria by surprise. He was killed by the police in a checkpoint in Lagos when he came home from the USA to participate in an athletics meet.

Also in 1979, a clash between supporters of IICC Shooting Stars FC of lbadan and Bendel Insurance of Benin after a challenge cup semi-final match in Lagos in which the Benin team lost 0-2 led to the death of twenty-six people. It was tragic. Another tragedy that hit the soccer world was the death of a patriotic soccer star, Sam Okwaraji who slumped and died at the national stadium in a World Cup qualifying match against Angola. It was a horrifying experience as Nigerians had begun to appreciate not only the football skills of the late player but his patriotic zeal which were unparalleled.

Tragedy again struck the country when players and officials of lwuanyanwu Nationale, now Heartland of Owerri returning from a continental engagement were involved in a plane crash. Two players – Animnwosa Omale and Uche Ikeogu with three crew members lost their lives while many others were seriously injured.

Kayode Oluyemi, a member of the Nigerian silver winning team at the Barcelona Olympics was involved in a ghastly motor accident which claimed his life while Sunday Uti another great athlete is ruled out of sports for life as he had a broken leg. The setbacks of Nigerian sports these past 54 years notwithstanding, Nigeria has remained a darling nation to sports lovers all over the world.