Christy Opara-Thompson boils over poor state of Nigerian athletics… says unfit ‘budget padding’ administrators killing sports

By Ben Efe   6-8-2025
Former Nigerian sprinter and long jumper Christy Opara-Thompson is angry over the poor state of Nigerian track and field; she noted that the country has failed to build upon the achievements made by her and her colleagues back in the 1990s and early 2000.
Christy, a member of the famous Nigerian bronze medal winning 4x100m relay quartet at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, said that rather than continue the momentum, Nigeria has retrogressed into a country that struggles to win medals at big international events despite its huge resources and talents.
At the Barcelona 1992 Olympics the quartet of Mary Onyali, Christy Opara-Thompson, Beatrice Otondo and Faith Idehen raced into history by winning Nigeria’s first track and field medal and their iconic celebration remains an Olympic moment till date.
Nigeria had its best Olympic year in 1996 when Chioma Ajunwa won the women long jump gold, Falilat Ogunkoya won a 400m bronze with a 49.10secs African record that remains unbeaten till date, the women 4×400 team of Ogunkoya, Fatima Yusuf, Charity Opara and Bisi Afolabi won silver in the event. In 2000 Nigeria won 4x400m elevated gold achieved by the quartet of Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, late Sunday Bada and Enefiok Udo-Obong, Glory Alozie also won silver in the women 100m hurdles. In 2004 Nigeria won silver in the men’s 4x400m and in 2008 Blessing Okagbare won a long jump silver and the women’s 4x100m quartet a bronze.
“So why has Nigeria failed to win medals in subsequent Olympic Games and continue to struggle to produce world class athletes? Christy quarried.
“This is because people who have no business being in sports administration, people with zero sports participation and pedigree have hijacked our sports, people whose only concern is to pad budgets and wait for government to release money so that they can go on a spending spree and smile home thereafter.
“When we have ex-athletes and other sports enthusiasts who are well ground and exposed and can to do a better job, but they are sidelined. Those people occupying positions in administration now what are they giving back to sport in their own capacity?
“Someone like me I have a mini stadium in Abuja where I train and groom boys and girls in different sports, just like few of my other colleagues. We are doing this based on the passion we have… There are Nigerians who can turn our sports fortunes around with passion and with sound knowledge.
“But rather the government goes around and give money to two individuals with their whims to determine the fate of our sports, it does not work that way.”
Christy added that Nigerians will continue to pin their hopes on a few athletes who managed to squeeze through the bottleneck as long as the country is unwilling to invest in young athletes.
“It takes at least four years to build an Olympic champion…what are we doing in this regard?
“They say government cannot be everywhere, shouldn’t we be having corporate brands scrambling to sponsor training programmes, competitions and endorse our athletes as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility?
“But this will not happen because the enabling environment is not there and rather than create it, those in charge of administration are there chasing shadows and waiting for government to release money.”
Christy who spends her time in Nigeria and the US said it was nice of government to reward sports men and women who have brought honour to the country, because this would attract more youths to participate in sports.
“During the military era the country did well in this regard. But it was good to see the women who did us proud recently got rewarded.
“However, it will be nice if the government can create an Olympic village, where athletes who made the country proud can be given apartments or plots of land to develop their property, when they retire from sports they will have a roof over heads.
“Besides this will inspire more youths to strive hard to want to live in that Olympics village by engaging in sports and winning laurels for self and country.”