London 2012: Coach Urges Nigerians To Keep Medal Hopes Alive

The national coach for horizontal jumps, Kola Adebayo, yesterday urged Nigerians to be optimistic that the country would still win a medal at the ongoing London 2012 Olympics.

The coach made  the call in Lagos against the backdrop of Nigerians expressing disappointment that Nigerian athletes had lost in table tennis, boxing, basketball, rowing, weightlifting and some events in athletics.

The country now hopes to win medals from the female 4×100 and 4×400 relays, 400m hurdles, long jump and taekwondo.

“Nigerians shouldn’t lose hope that we’ve not clinched any medal at the Games because we still have some events left,” Adebayo told newsmen.

The coach told our correspondent  on telephone that though medal hopeful, Blessing Okagbare, had a poor showing in the women’s 100m; he still believed she could do better in other events.

“She should take her flop in the 100m as a challenge and desire to do better because I know she will like to win a medal.

“And it is a good thing she has participated in the race because it has shown her the competitiveness in the Olympics,” he said.

Adebayo, however, said the delay in winning a medal was as a result of the poor preparation of the athletes for the Olympics.

“What do you expect from the athletes whose training was just two to three months before the competition and you can’t compare with those who’ve been training for years?

“What the athletes are showing is their best in them and nothing more,” the coach said.

A 2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medalist in triple jump, Saul Weigpowa, corroborated what Adebayo said, adding that Nigeria still had chances of clinching medals in long jump, women’s 4×100 and 4x400m.

“I know we’ve lost a bit of hope in Okagbare because she lost in the 100m but we should realise that it will be very competitive with countries like Jamaica and the USA.

“But I know the female athletes will do better in their other events,” he said.

Weigpowa advised that Nigeria should ensure it retained its athletes and not allow them to go plying their trade in foreign lands where they exhausted themselves.

“If only the country can maintain its athletes in all ramifications, then we’ll not see athletes going to Europe to run themselves out.

“If you look at countries that are doing well in track and field, you’ll note that their athletes are home-based and well monitored by their coaches,” he said.

The Games commenced on July 27 and would end on August 12.

Basketball match between Nigeria and France at the London Olympics. France won by 79 to 73.