Team Nigeria in fiery mood

Nigeria’s best performance at the Olympics was in 1996 at the Atlanta Games where the Dream Team won the football event and Chioma Ajunwa won the women’s long jump. The second best outing was at Sydney 2000 where they finished with three silver medals. These past achievements are but like a dream, seemingly belonging to a distant past only to be referred to in history books.

Despite the strong opposition Team Nigeria will face at the London Olympics, fortune might just smile on them if they play their cards right. Having just eight sports to feature at the Games out of the 36, Nigeria definitely have no chance of finishing among the top teams.

Unlike at the 1996 and 2008 Olympics, Nigeria will not have any football team hoisting her flag. But like in 1996, when the Dream Team was not given any chance of survival before winning the event, D’Tigers, featuring in the basketball event, are not enjoying any positive rating as they face the US, Tunisia, Lithuania, Argentina and France. The athletes, however, are not writing themselves off as they nurse the hope of yet shocking the world like they did in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Venezuela .

“When we assembled the first thing coach said was ‘let’s make history’,” Ike Diogu said.

“But not just a one year thing, we want to have sustainable success and that’s what we’re working towards.”

 “I’m still having trouble believing it (that we qualified for the Olympics),” Ade Dagunduro told Omaha.com.

“Nobody gave us a chance. It’s been an amazing experience already. I can only imagine what it will be like when we get to London .”

D’Tigers had no famous star and only spent less than three weeks together before heading to Venezuela .

“When we started, even in friendly matches, man, we were terrible,” Dagunduro said. “We were out of sync and you could tell the chemistry wasn’t there.

“But game by game, you could see it coming together. It might be scary if we can keep this thing going.”

“I don’t want to say we’re just happy to be there, we want to try to cause a stir like we did in Venezuela .’’

His teammate, Richard Oruche, who is currently being celebrated as the first athlete from the University of Illinois Springfield to be at the Olympics, wants to seize the opportunity in London to project his prowess.

“Not many people get the opportunity to go out there and play against people you kind of idolised growing up in your career. People who gave you passion to play the game,” Oruche said in a statement from UIS. “We want to do something big with this opportunity we’ve been given.”

Obinna Metu failed to impress at the African Senior Athletics Championships in Porto Novo, Republic of Benin due to a minor injury he sustained less than 24 hours to his event, but he is not letting the opportunity to shine on the world stage pass him by.

At the Beijing Olympics, his 10.29 seconds was not enough to take him beyond the second heat of the 100m event, but now, he is aiming for a sub 10 seconds in London .

“I’m really pushing myself and I think I’ll get there before the Games commence. I have all the ingredients – belief, hard work and determination. I don’t want to finish the Olympics and start thinking that I should have done something better. I just pray everything works out fine,” Metu said before leaving for London .

Unfortunately, Nigeria will not feature in the men’s relay, an event that could have provided another opportunity for Metu and the other sprinters.

Amaechi Morton, the only male hurdler in the team, is focused on what he wants in London ; he’s not participating just for the fun of it. His personal-best of 48.79 seconds ranks fourth in the US and ninth in the world, but he has chosen to represent Nigeria. “I had confidence in what I am capable of achieving,” he said. “It’s kind of bittersweet, but I’m happy with the decision. I’m still going to have to eventually race the same guys.”