How Successful Would Team Nigeria Be at Tokyo 2020?

Olympic Gold Medalist, ENEFIOK UDO-OBONG, here examines Team Nigeria’s chances at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Games

IN THE BEGIN…

Four-time tennis Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka lit the flames of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games torch last Friday night signaling the beginning of the Games but as the world watches how this pandemic affected Games turn out, millions of Nigerians at home and in the diaspora would only be bothered on how their 60-man contingent perform in Tokyo.

So what should Nigerians expect? Here is my candid perspective on Team Nigeria’s chances in Tokyo.

TAEKWONDO

As one of the five sports that have given Nigeria medals at the Olympics, a lot can be expected from the sport. However the growth trajectory has not been impressive since we won the bronze in 2008. We have struggled to even qualify any athlete for the Games.

In Tokyo, Nigeria is represented by ANYANACHO Elizabeth Oluchi in the 67kg class. She will be up against 4th ranked Turkish competitor TATAR Nur. Despite the disparity in ranking (Oluchi is 13th), a lot is expected from the All Africa Games bronze medalist, especially as she is coached by Olympic Bronze medalist Chika Chukwumerije.

VERDICT: Tough to call but to be considered successful, a bronze medal is required here. However if she defeats her round of 16 opponent Tatar Nur, then she can be proud of her feat. Exit in the first fight is my prediction.

TABLE TENNIS

All eyes would be on Aruna Quadri here. He has lifted Nigerian table tennis to heights unknown to us in recent years. He is ranked 21st and may offer our best hope. However, it is the young protégé, Olajide OMOTAYO, on who is generating a lot of talk. The 94th ranked player is exciting and a joy to watch. If he reduces his exuberances and plays smart, he could go far.

The ladies are led by the ageless Funke Oshonaike, seven time Olympian who crashed out in the first round to an American player in first round. Nigeria’s other female player, Offiong Edem, is only ranked 123. Any win here would be considered progress.

Table tennis is due a medal for Nigeria in the Olympics, but this would be a bridge too far in Tokyo.

VERDICT: Quarter Final showing at best in any event but to be considered a success, a semi-final placing is required.

WRESTLING

Do we dare to dream? Wrestling presents Nigeria’s genuine chance at Gold in this Olympic Games. These wrestlers tutored by Olympic Gold Medalist Daniel Igali (albeit for Canada) have shown that with commitment, singular focus, proper planning, sacrifice and dedication we can be amongst the world’s best. Nigeria would be represented by five wrestlers led by former world number two ADEKUOROYE Odunayo Folasade. Alongside OBORODUDU Blessing, they have our best chance at Gold if they can keep focus and remain disciplined. Ekerekeme Aigomor, Aminat Adeniyi and Adijat idris have all shown tremendous progress over the years.

VERDICT: Breeding ground for a Gold medal here. It would be a massive failure based on the high standards they have set to come back without a medal. Minimum a silver and a bronze projected from these great wrestlers.

BADMINTON

A great experience for the team. In the past four years the team has developed and improved greatly under the presidency of Francis Obih. There has been technical trainings, competitions and even during the lock down, the federation was giving online development to their officials. In Tokyo, the team would have succeeded if they manage a win. It is all about experience for them. The duo of OLOFUA Godwin and OPEYORI Anuoluwapo Juwon ranked 148 and 113 in the world play their team game against the Japanese duo of ENDO Hiroyuki and WATANABE Yuta (ranked 4th) in their first match. If the match is close, even if they lose as it is likely, that would be a victory for them.

VERDICT: They are there for the experience only. If they even manage a win, then that is a massive success.

SWIMMING

For a nation as populated as Nigeria, with her talents and resources, both natural and human, this sport has been a major disappointment. Lack of facilities and even more inadequate funding has made this sport rudimentary in Nigeria. We lag behind other African countries and are not reckoned with at all in the international scene. We are represented by 17-year-old Abiola Ogunbawo. In a sport that is handing out about 111 medals, it’s a poor representation. She would be doing the 100m freestyle and though she has had a lot of experience competing internationally, her time of 52.83 seconds is impressive but far from the 51 seconds needed to medal.

VERDICT: Future star. In here for the development. If she succeeds in progressing over a round, that is massive success.

CANOEING

Emmanuel Ayomide Bello flies the nations flag in another event that we are in just for participatory experience. Ayomide has grown in leaps and bounds in the canoe sprints (C-1 200m) and canoe slalom events winning Gold in the African Youth Games and All African Games. She also participated in the Youth Olympics in Argentina. However Tokyo 2020 may be one step too far.

VERDICT: A top 15 rank would be a massive success.

ARTISTICGYMNASTICS

Nigeria would present her first ever Olympic gymnast through American-born Uche Eke. Eke won Gold in the All African Games and is set to be a strong contender in the Olympics. Though still an under-developed sport in Nigeria, the talent of the 23-year-old Nigerian-American and his training in the US has brought hopes to the expectant nation.

VERDICT: A top 12 finish would be an amazing result. No medal expectation here.

ROWING

Esther Tamaraebi Toko would be flying Nigeria’s flag in rowing. Toko won bronze and silver medals at the 2019 African Beach Games and she also qualified to row single sculls at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Not much expected from her but a good showing.

VERDICT: In the Games for the experience.

BASKETBALL

The victory of D’Tigers over the USA recently changed Nigerians’ perspective of their basketball team. Everyone started to believe in the team. The defeat of USA was followed by victory over another powerhouse and world number 4 team Argentina. Suddenly, the basketball team felt like the Dream Team. However, the Australians whom we play first in Tokyo brought us back to a reality check with a crushing defeat in our third friendly last week. That defeat could be seen as a blessing in disguise as the weight of expectations would have been too much for Coach Brown and his boys. A team dominated by NBA players, Caleb Agada, Ekpe Udoh, Nnamdi Vincent, Chikeze Okpala, Ike Ireogbu and others, the Nigerian team have a lot to live up to and with the long camping in the US, they should be prepared. Now, they have lost their first Group B game to Australia.

The female team, D’Tigress also have expectations on them too.

VERDICT: Anything short of a semifinals for the men would be seen as a disappointment. This is how high they have set their standards. The female team should finish top eight too. That would be an acceptable level of success.

ATHLETICS

The holy grail of Nigeria’s Olympic participation remains the track & field team. Always the sport that defines the Games but ironically one that is most neglected in terms of sponsorship and support. However, athletics, the only ever present sports in Nigeria’s history of Olympic participation is once again expected to deliver medals. The sports has contributed 13 of Nigeria’s 25 Olympic medals and two of her three Gold medals. So it is no understatement saying it is the King of Nigerian Sports. Along with Taekwondo, they are the only sports in Tokyo for Nigeria that have won an Olympic medal for the country before. And a lot of hopes are hinged on this sport. But Nigeria’s preparations as usual have been hampered by off field problems. The federation is in a battle within two factions to establish legitimacy. There is trouble brewing over a kits sponsor deal shrouded in secrecy and there was the problem of our chances heavily reduced due to the absence of our relay teams at the World Relays which led to their inability to qualify for the Games.

But in the broth of all these trouble, we have always had our athletes soar with that Nigerian fighting spirit. It would not be different in Tokyo. The good news in Tokyo is that Blessing Okagbare would not be the one to single-handedly carry our hopes as she has in the past two Games. In fact on paper, she is not expected to win a medal in her preferred 100m event. A final placing is a result that mirrors her position in the world of sprinting. A medal would be an over achievement if we see the trajectory of her rivals. I believe for the 100m, the medals would be shared by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, Elaine Thompson-Herah( all of Jamaica) and Dina Asher Smith (Great Britain), while American Javianne Oliver, Teana Daniels and Ivorian Maria Tanou would be outsiders to win medals. The 200m is Okagbare lesser preferred event and even a final placement here may be difficult.

Ese Brume and Tobi Amusan ranked 2nd and 7th respectively in the Long Jump and 100m hurdles are Nigeria’s brightest propects for individual medals in track & field in Tokyo. If conditions are right and injuries are avoided, we could see two medals here. A silver and bronze my optimistic projection but at the worst one bronze from both events. If we win nothing from these two, that may count as a disappointment.

The men do not promise as much as the women though the early results of Divine Oduduru gives hope that he may still have it in him. But all his great performances have been run in the US. Outside the US, he has not been in the same form. Also, his absence at the trials prevented one from giving an on site assessment of his form. On a good day however, Divine is a dynamite and could give an explosive result. A final showing in either 100m or 200m would be considered a very successful outing for him.

Not much is expected from the relays as the 4 x 400m women seemed our best bet but their qualification was not accepted by World Athletics. So all hopes would be on the 4 x 100m women. Considering the forms of the other countries like the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Great Britain, a finals qualification would be a good result for the team. The 4 x400m mixed relays too can also be in that medal mix if their tactics are right.

In the field events, Nigeria brings her most talented set of throwers ever to the Games. Chioma Onyekwere has been in the best form of her life this year, throwing 63.30 meters in the Discus throw event. That would have placed her fifth in the last Olympics. So at the worst a final placing is expected from her, and who knows she could just sneak in a medal.

Even more impressive is Annette ECHIKUNWOKE. The Hammer thrower whose 75.49 meters thrown this season would have earned her a bronze medal in the last Olympic Games. The National record holder in my opinion is our brightest Olympic medal hopeful.

Third and by no means least is Chukwuebuka ENEKWECHI. The commonwealth Silver medalist and African Champion. His highest ranking of 8th in the world tells us he should at least be in the finals. He has thrown 21.56 meters this year and this would have won him a bronze medal at the last Olympics.

An outsider for the field event medal is the young Ruth Usoro, whose 14.50 meters in the triple Jump earned her an NCAA title.

VERDICT: Medals must come from athletics to consider it successful. There is hope for a Gold, a silver and two bronze medals if we are being the most optimistic. Two bronze medals is the least we should consider as successful with at least 8 athletes in the finals of their events.

TEAM NIGERIA VERDICT/ PREDICTION

After an examination of the team, my verdict for Team Nigeria would be to return home with 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze medals. And this would be a great outing for them.