{"id":17530,"date":"2026-11-14T07:31:10","date_gmt":"2026-11-14T07:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/14\/nigerian-women-the-bedrock-of-sporting-achievements\/"},"modified":"2026-11-14T07:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T07:31:10","slug":"nigerian-women-the-bedrock-of-sporting-achievements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnigerianews.com\/index.php\/2026\/11\/14\/nigerian-women-the-bedrock-of-sporting-achievements\/","title":{"rendered":"NIGERIAN WOMEN: The Bedrock of Sporting Achievements"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"NIGERIAN<\/p>\n

By Tony Ubani<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the beginning of the Olympic movement, women were excluded from the ancient Olympic Games and initially barred from participating in the modern Olympics. They gradually fought for and achieved full participation.<\/p>\n

Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, excluded women because he believed their participation was \u201cimpractical, uninteresting, unaesthetic, and incorrect\u201d. Coubertin and contemporary organisers argued that a woman\u2019s body was not built to withstand the physical shocks, strain and exertion associated with intense athletic competition.<\/p>\n

Society at the time viewed sports as a male-dominated public domain, associated with physical aggression, moral fortitude and militarism, while women were expected to remain within domestic or passive spheres.<\/p>\n

Coubertin believed that the primary role of women at the Olympics should be to crown the victors as spectators rather than compete in sporting events. He particularly opposed their participation in strenuous or combative sports, which he felt undermined traditional feminine grace and aesthetics.<\/p>\n

Trust women! Because they were barred from the Olympics, Greek women organised their own parallel athletic festival, held every four years and known as the Heraean Games. The festival featured footraces for young women.<\/p>\n

While many criticised Coubertin for shutting women out of the Olympics, his position earned him the ire of feminist historians and occasional accusations of misogyny. However, others argued that the founder of the modern Olympics was motivated by a desire to protect women from lecherous spectators.<\/p>\n

They defended Coubertin on the grounds that he was a product of the paternalistic society in which he was raised and the chivalrous code by which he lived. Protecting the dignity of women was a high priority, and therein lay the basis of his opposition to their participation in the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf some women want to play football or box, let them, provided that the event takes place without spectators, because the spectators who flock to such competitions are not there to watch a sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

In essence, he wanted to protect women from spectators whose motives, he believed, were more lecherous than athletic. Statistics and popular observations also suggest that some men watch women\u2019s tennis for reasons beyond sporting appreciation, ranging from their players\u2019 outfits to the physical appeal of the athletes and even the grunting associated with serving or returning powerful shots.<\/p>\n

Despite his reservations about female participation in the Olympics, Coubertin wanted everyone to engage in sports. \u201cSport is,\u201d he wrote, \u201cthe birthright of all, equally and to the same degree, and nothing can replace it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Women made their Olympic debut at the Paris Games in 1900, where 22 female athletes, representing about two per cent of the competitors, participated in a limited number of sports, including tennis, sailing, golf, croquet and equestrianism.<\/p>\n

By the 2024 Paris Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had achieved full gender parity for the first time, with an equal representation of 5,250 female and 5,250 male athletes.<\/p>\n

However, over the past 30 years, Nigerian female athletes have consistently delivered outstanding performances in major international competitions, winning medals, setting world and championship records and achieving historic milestones across athletics, wrestling, weightlifting, football and basketball.<\/p>\n

Female athletes have increasingly dominated major sporting headlines through their historic achievements. In Nigerian sports, competitors such as Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles, have consistently brought home global honours, even as some of their male counterparts have endured prolonged periods without comparable success.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s sports have also evolved from niche attractions into mainstream commercial ventures, attracting massive viewership, expanding media rights opportunities and generating dedicated fan engagement.<\/p>\n

But if one examines who is driving viewership and spending in today\u2019s sporting landscape, a different picture emerges: men are helping to fuel the boom in women\u2019s sports in ways the industry has been slow to recognise.<\/p>\n

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, could not hide his admiration for the achievements of Nigerian women. He exclaimed, \u201cGod bless Nigerian women!\u201d He was particularly moved by their resilience and record-breaking performances, praising them for standing firm and bringing honour and glory to their fatherland.<\/p>\n

The performances of Nigerian male athletes, however, have been disappointing when compared with those of their female counterparts. This brings to mind the popular saying by Chilean writer Isabel Allende: \u201cA man does what he can; a woman does what a man cannot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recent events have further reinforced this argument. Nigeria\u2019s Under-17 women\u2019s national team, the Flamingos, made history by defeating Japan 2-1 in the final to win the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women\u2019s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco. Their triumph strengthened the growing belief that Nigerian women are among the country\u2019s greatest sporting achievers and have, in several instances, outshone their male counterparts in modern international sports.<\/p>\n

The victory made the Flamingos the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n

While celebrations were still ongoing, Team Nigeria made yet another piece of history at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, by becoming the first country to win both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s 100m gold medals at the same edition of the Games.<\/p>\n

It was a remarkable campaign, defined by historic victories, record-breaking performances and the emergence of a new generation of Nigerian sporting talents. Three athletes, in particular, etched their names into the country\u2019s sporting history.<\/p>\n

Rosemary Nwankwo joined an elite group of Nigerian female sprint champions at the Youth Olympic Games, following in the footsteps of Josephine Omaka, who won at Singapore 2010, and Rosemary Chukwuma, who triumphed at Buenos Aires 2018.<\/p>\n

Gift Brown stood up for the men, becoming the first Nigerian male athlete in Youth Olympic history to win the 100m gold medal. Their double triumph marked the first time a single country had captured both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s 100m titles at the same edition of the Youth Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

Praise Ugoh also struck gold in the women\u2019s 400m, clocking an impressive personal-best time of 52.76 seconds. Her victory made her the first Nigerian to win gold in the event at the Youth Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

Despite the difficult conditions and challenges confronting sports development in Nigeria, female athletes have continued to thrive, overcome obstacles and defy the odds.<\/p>\n

Marilyn Monroe may well have had Nigerian women in mind when she said, \u201cStrong women don\u2019t have attitudes; we have standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, Nigerian women have set remarkable standards for their male counterparts in sports, effectively challenging the age-old description of women as the \u201cweaker sex\u201d.<\/p>\n

In Nigerian sporting circles, we have witnessed women who embody resilience, perseverance, confidence and courage. They include Tobi Amusan, Chioma Ajunwa, Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya, Glory Alozie, Blessing Okagbare, Blessing Oborududu, Odunayo Adekuroye, Ese Brume, Chioma Onyekwere, Asisat Oshoala, Bose Kaffo, Funke Oshonaike, Ikpeoyi Ifechukwude Christiana, Alice Folashade Oluwafemiayo, Goodness Chiemere Nwachukwu and Adijat Adenike Olarinoye, among many others.<\/p>\n

However, Robinson Okosun (PhD), a sports and exercise psychologist, has cautioned against concluding that women are naturally better athletes or psychologically stronger than men. He stressed that the differences in performance could be rooted in team culture, leadership, preparation and sports administration.<\/p>\n

Okosun urged the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to commission a comparative sports psychology study of male and female national teams to identify the factors influencing their respective performances.<\/p>\n

He also recommended that the men\u2019s national teams embrace stronger team unity, accountability, mutual respect, psychological resilience and collective ambition.<\/p>\n

He concluded that the biggest lesson from the Flamingos\u2019 achievement is that success is not determined by individual talent alone, but by how effectively that talent is organised and channelled towards achieving a common goal.<\/p>\n

As Olopade rightly observed, there is indeed every reason to celebrate Nigerian women and girls as they continue to redefine Nigeria\u2019s image in the eyes of the world.<\/p>\n

Dame Pauline K. Tallen was equally emotional in her tribute to the female athletes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I watched these amazing Amazons embrace the Nigerian flag with infectious joy, to the amazement of the world, I was more than ever convinced that the future of this nation lies in the indomitable spirit of the Nigerian woman. If they can do it in sports, they can also bring about a robust and strategic approach to addressing the challenges of the Nigerian state. Women, I should say, hold the ace and must be given the opportunity to showcase their potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nigerian women have spoken through their achievements. And, as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, \u201cIf you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post NIGERIAN WOMEN: The Bedrock of Sporting Achievements<\/a> appeared first on Vanguard News<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source: <\/p>\n

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Nigeria Sports News & Updates – Vanguard News<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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