Sports enthusiasts in Lagos have called for early preparations of Team Nigeria ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, United States.

They made the call in separate interviews on Tuesday in Lagos.

The enthusiasts said that it was unfortunate that Nigeria returned from the Paris Games with no medals to show for their efforts.

They noted that early preparations would ensure medals for Team Nigeria in their respective sports.

According to a grassroots sports developer, Philip Braide, plans for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles should start now.

Mr Braide urged sports administrators to ensure that short-term, mid-term, and long-term plans were in place for excellent outings for Nigeria at the 2028 Games.

According to him, the fire brigade approach adopted by sports administrators over the years has not allowed for the discovery and nurturing of true potential in sports.

”We have to go back to the grass-roots where true talents are discovered and nurtured, and this requires huge investment from government and private/corporate bodies. When our youths are developed and exposed early enough to international major competitions, we can assess them properly and ascertain their qualities. The huge money invested in Team Nigeria at the just concluded Olympics should not have come to nothing if there was the proper spread of such monies to sports federations over the years.

”There has to be a monitoring team to have a check on the athletes to ascertain their level of preparations and how the athletes’ development process is going,” Mr Braide said.

Another sports enthusiast and CEO of Provarious Sports, Segun Solanke, said that strategic planning for Olympic success and sports in general required comprehensive action.

Mr Solanke said, “As a concerned citizen, I believe the Olympics represent the highest level of international sports, where nations showcase their best talents on the global stage. However, our beloved country has often found itself unprepared, leading to disappointing results that do not reflect the potential and talent we possess. As we look forward to future Olympic Games, it is imperative that we adopt a new approach — one that is proactive, strategic, and inclusive.

“A new approach must be anchored where there are strategic monitoring teams that also include financing the sporting federations put in place to develop athletes.’’

Recall that even with stand-out athletes such as Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume, Blessing Oborodudu, Ruth Usoro, and Pristina Ochonogor, Team Nigeria did not win any medals at the Paris Games.

The Paris Olympics also marked Nigeria’s worst outing since London 2012.

(NAN)