By
Michael Obasi

The Olympics Games are unarguably the biggest sporting event in the World and Nigeria's effective participation at the games is not only a thing of national pride but a symbol of the country's pride as a major and leading sporting country in Africa.  

Some of the Country's  iconic global achievements have come from the feats at the Olympics games.         

The World cannot stop talking about the Dream team  achievement at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics games, winning the football Gold medal after conquering football giants like Brazil and Argentina in the semi final and the final respectively.  
                               
The Long Jump Gold medal feat of Chioma Ajunwa at the same Olympics games is a global iconic reference of a lifetime.
                                    
It Is therefore not acceptable for Nigeria to be heading to such a championship with the issue of funding as a problem.

With due respect to the current  challenges facing the country, Nigeria has passed that stage where our participation at the Olympics games is suffering from adequate funding.

If this is not the case, how on earth will Team Nigeria be getting 1.2 billion naira as its budget for the participation at the Paris Olympic Games. 

For those involved in Sports admiration and Sports economy,such amounts from the Federal government is very laughable.
                                 
The All Africa Games in Ghana earlier this year, the Ministry of Sports got about 800,000  million Naira for its participation  talk more of the Olympics Games in France.
                              
I personally know President Bola Tinubu is a sports loving leader and there is a need for him to come to the aide of the Sports Ministry for improved funding for the Olympics games.

Yes , I know some people will say what is the Private sector doing to complement the efforts of the Government,but we all know in this part of the world,the Government is still the number one when it comes to sports funding.
                                    
Unfortunately what we often see from the Corporate world is ambush sports promotion after success must have been achieved.                                 

That is when you will see all sorts of private companies wanting to host an athlete after achieving success but will not jostle to do the same during tournament preparations.