…Chidi Imoh Sad Over Poor Outing at Budapest 2023 

Following the dismal outing of Team Nigeria at the just concluded 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, a former Nigerian sprint champion, Chidi Imoh, has called on the leadership of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to learn from the mistakes made and prioritise athletes’ needs ahead of next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

Speaking on Sportsville Sportsprogramme aired on Channels TV yesterday, the Barcelona ‘92  Olympic Games silver medalist said that if Nigeria wants to do well at Paris 2024, “AFN needs to learn from the mistakes (in Budapest 2023) and prioritise athletes’ needs, especially ahead of next year’s Olympics in Paris.”

Imoh insisted that Nigeria’s top athlete, Tobi Amusan, must be helped to regain her confidence to get back to the form that gave her the world record  and gold medal in the women’s 100m hurdles at Oregon 2022.

 “Now, the Federation (AFN) should be able to go in and ask her (Amusan) what she needs to be ready for the Olympics and invest in her so she can be ready and focus on the Games rather than on commercial activities,” observed the 1987 All-Africa Games 100m gold medalist.

He admits that divided loyalty between chasing money on the circuit and focusing on the Olympics are two different things.

“These things affected me in my time which was why in many of the championships, I wasn’t able to perform to the level I’m accustomed to. I was chasing money to take care of my family and do other things but if the Federation can go in now and put resources on her, her mind can be calm and she can focus on training for the Games,” observed the former sprint star.

He however berated the sports authorities in the country for ignoring grassroots talents discovering over the years.

“Since I retired from track and field in Nigeria, the Federation didn’t do good at all. They did not go back and produce athletes from the grassroots.”

Imoh also blamed the too much attention paid to football to the detriment of other sports.

“We wasted a full generation of athletes. I’m from Abia State and they don’t even have one track stadium, everything is football. Track and field is dying in Nigeria. It is  time for Nigeria to put money into athletics so that young athletes can grow and be able to represent and lift the country.

“A  small country like Jamaica is producing world-class athletes; smaller African countries are doing better than Nigeria in our strong area like the sprint and we call ourselves Giant of Africa? What  is going on?”queried an obviously angry Imoh.