Olympics: How Nigerian athletes are begging for money to go to Rio
When the president of Nigeria’s Olympic Committee, Engr Habu Ahmed Gumen officially received Nigeria’s Olympic team from President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, there was not a single indication that anything was amiss.
Rather, Gumel showered encomiums on Buhari and his government for supporting the team to prepare for the Rio Olympic Games.
Of course, one wouldn’t have expected anything less at an event during which the traditional investiture of President Buhari as the Grand Patron of the Nigeria Olympic Committee took place.
At the event, Buhari assured that the Federal Government was “fully committed to our delegation’s successful participation in the Rio Olympic Games and will ensure that funds budgeted for the Games are released without further delay”.
But President Muhammadu Buhari lied at the event, it seems.
All is not well, or what could have led to this?
Help get me to the Olympics https://t.co/Z30w4mjI6w
— ❤regina george❤ (@DivaOnTheTrack) July 22, 2016
Regina George is one of the 84 athletes who qualified to represent Nigeria at the Rio Olympics.
“I (have) just been told that we will have to pay our own way to the Olympics this year,” she wrote on a gofundme page she set up to raise funds barely three days after the Tuesday ceremony.
Interestingly, George is one of many Nigerian athletes resident abroad.
The government, and many Nigerians, have complained bitterly in times past that many of such athletes end up representing other countries at major international sporting events.
But there is no doubt that George is bent on representing her country of origin and she is getting all the encouragement possible.
“Sadly this is such short notice for me to come up with the money. They also promised a refund but I’m still waiting for many refunds promised in the past.
“I (have) been through a lot of obstacles this year and through it all I made my SECOND Olympic team.
“I don’t want to stop now after I earned a spot to represent my country in the Olympics. Any donation will help my situation.
“This will not go unnoticed and I’m truly grateful for my supporters,” she ended the short note on the fundraising platform.
As at the time of compiling this report, she had raised about $2,000 out of the $4,000 dollar target.
And she’s not the only one having to ask around for financial support.
Nigeria's first ever rower at an Olympics @cukogu, needs your support. https://t.co/nubmh7GHBL
— Ebuka Obi-Uchendu (@Ebuka) July 11, 2016
Chierika Ukogu, otherwise known as Coco, will be the first Nigerian ever to row at the Olympic Games. The only thing that can stop her is funds.
“It is my ultimate goal to be the 1st Nigerian to row at the Olympic games,” she wrote on her own gofundme page.
“I am not receiving any financial support from the Nigerian Rowing Federation, so my dream relies on your generousity.
row 2 RIO #teamnigeria pic.twitter.com/k54XKYmRBC
— Chierika Ukogu, MD (@cukogu) February 20, 2016
“Money raised will go towards travel costs, entry fees, uniforms, boats, and anything needed to make the Olympics a reality! Please join me on my quest to make history in Rio.
Her fund, set up on the 19th of June 2015 has raised over $10,000 of a targeted $15,000.
“I hate asking for money”
Nikki Okwelogu hates asking for money but there’s something she hates much more. Missing the Olympics.
Not after having “been selected by the Nigerian team to represent them in the shot put in this year’s Olympic Games”.
“But, the Nigerian team can no longer pay for my flight ticket to Rio.
“I honestly never expected to get this close to going to the Olympics. However, after working so hard to throw the Olympic Standard and to place first at Nigerian Olympic Trials, it would be a shame to not go on the account of political and financial reasons.
“Again, I am aware that I’m not the only worthy cause, so anything you can spare for my Olympic dreams would be greatly appreciated,” she pleads on a gofundme page.
Her target is $7,000 out of which she has raised $655 dollars in about eight hours.
Another confirmation in case you’re still doubting:
Just so everyone knows we all got that message saying we should get our own tickets to Rio! #helpnigerianathletes
— Seye Ogunlewe jnr (@seyeogunlewe) July 22, 2016
Sia One and the Dream Team
It is no secret that the Male football team have had to deal with severe shortage of funds as they prepared for the tournament.
“It is not a good image to go to the Olympics while trying to beg for money around, actually begging people for money to take care of the Nigerian Olympic team. How are we going to win gold, if we keep begging for money to take care of our athletes?” Samson Siasia, coach of the football team lamented.
“We don’t have money. We are in the (United States of) America now without any money. So, it is a big problem.
“We are without any money in our pocket. There are no funds coming from anywhere. That is not a good thing.
“When you have players who are not motivated and encouraged, but you want them to come and do a miracle. Everybody needs to be encouraged at one time or the other.”
Authorities concerned have not made any statement concerning Siasia’s lamentation since July 7, 2016.
Instead, they secretly told athletes to find ways of getting themselves to Brazil days after the “Olympic Show” in Abuja.
Although the present administration is struggling, on all fronts, to stabilize the economy which is in a “technical recession”, there is hardly a cogent excuse for this shoddy handling of the contingent to Rio.
The ministry of Youth and Sports development ranked eight with two other ministeries in budgetary allocation for the current year.
“I am shocked”
However, the publicity secretary of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Tony Ubani said he’s “shocked to hear this”.
“I doubt if truly the ministry sent such email out to the athletes. I can’t confirm this. It is the ministry that is in a better position to confirm or deny this,” he said.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barr Solomon Dalung has also denied directing foreign based athletes to buy their own air tickets.
“We did not write any mail asking athletes to pay their way to Rio. As the overseers of sports in the country, it is our duty to take care of all our athletes.
“The letter did not come from us and we will investigate the writer of that letter. It does not represent our stand concerning the movement of athletes to Rio and the writer or anybody asking athletes to buy their tickets to Rio will be investigated.
“We ask Nigerians and athletes in particular to disregard the mail” Dalung said in a statement.
That notwithstanding, the jury has been out all along about how Nigeria treats her past heroes.
Many will readily agree that apart from a mention in the country’s national anthem, Nigeria does little for those who have sweated water and blood for her in times past.
This, if true, only makes a bad situation worse, but let’s the minister the benefit of the doubt..
