Two-time Olympic medallist, Enefiok Udo-Obong, has said that Nigerian athletes, past and present, are only entitled to respect and recognition for their achievements, not lifetime financial support from the government.

Udo-Obong made the remarks following criticisms by some former Super Eagles players, including Taribo West and Austin Eguavoen, who accused the government and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of neglecting retired footballers at the service of songs for late goalkeeper Peter Rufai.

In a post shared via Facebook, Udo-Obong dismissed calls for special financial entitlements for athletes, arguing that sportsmen benefited from privileges during their careers.

“It is insulting for Austin Eguavoen to compare playing in the Super Eagles or any sportsman with a soldier. One lives a life of luxury and privilege, and the other lays down his life and privileges so that all can enjoy a life of privilege,” he wrote.

“The nation owes no sportsman any favour. On the contrary, we owe the country for the opportunity and platform they have given us to flourish our talents and to live a life envious to the majority. All we deserve from the country and its leaders is respect and recognition for our hard work,” Udo-Obong added.

Udo-Obong anchored Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m relay team to gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympics and also won bronze in Athens 2004.

In 2024, he was appointed Technical Director of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Athletics Development Programme, after beating competitors from the United States, Britain and Australia.

Before taking up the Saudi role, the 43-year-old served in various capacities in Nigerian athletics, including as Technical Director of the Lagos State Athletics Association.

President Bola Tinubu has rewarded Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, with a package that includes “$100,000” for each player and “$50,000” for every member of the 11-person coaching and technical crew.

All team members and staff also received a three-bedroom apartment at the Renewed Hope Estate.

Additionally, the President bestowed the national honour of “Officer of the Order of the Niger” on the players and their technical team.

More to come…

D’Tigress of Nigeria have claimed the 2025 Women’s Afrobasket championship held in Cote d’Ivoire.

Led by Rena Wakama, the team triumphed over Mali with a score of 78-64 in the final played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan on Sunday.

With this win, Nigeria has become the only nation to secure the women’s Afrobasket crown five consecutive times.

D’Tigress also secured an automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup set to take place in Berlin, Germany.

Nigeria made it to the final after a challenging semi-final against Senegal, edging through with a strong fourth quarter effort.

The final against Mali was quite different. Although Mali led 26-21 at the end of the first quarter, Nigeria caught up, tying the score at 41-all by halftime.

D’Tigress showed their class in the third quarter, ending it with a 61-56 lead.

In the final quarter, Nigeria restricted Mali to just eight points and sealed the game with a 14-point margin.

The team now holds seven Women’s Afrobasket titles. They have not lost a game in the competition in the past ten years. Their last defeat was on October 2, 2015, to Cameroon.

Nigeria first won the Women’s Afrobasket in 2003 and repeated the feat in the next edition.

Since 2017, D’Tigress have claimed every Afrobasket title held.