Nesiama praises Team Nigeria, urges better preparation after Commonwealth Games
By Uzor Odigbo
Commodore Omatseye Nesiama retired, a former Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), has commended Team Nigeria Athletics for its impressive showing at the ongoing 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, describing the campaign as a positive step for the country’s athletics programme.
Nesiama, who is Nigeria’s most senior World Athletics technical official in Nigeria, said the performances recorded so far have exceeded some expectations, with several athletes delivering surprising results despite pre-Games predictions.
“It is so far, so fair,” Nesiama said while assessing the team’s performance. “Predictions might not come outright correct, but surprises still came out.”
The experienced athletics administrator, who served as one of the technical officials at this year’s World Relays Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, and also officiated at the CAA Senior Athletics Championships in Ghana, noted that one of the biggest positives from the Games has been the emergence of Nigeria’s male athletes.
According to him, the performances of the men’s team have provided fresh optimism for the future of Nigerian athletics.
“One thing that is significant is that we are now seeing and coming to have great expectations coming from the men as well,” he said.
Nesiama also praised the unity and team spirit displayed by the Nigerian contingent, describing the camaraderie among athletes and officials as one of the key factors behind the team’s encouraging performances.
“Kudos to all members of the team for the camaraderie that engulfed the team,” he added.
Looking ahead, the retired senior military intelligence officer stressed the need for Nigeria to improve its planning and preparation for major international competitions.
He urged athletics administrators to begin preparations much earlier and ensure that strategies are properly implemented during competitions.
“We can only ask for more and more in the aspect of fine-tuning our preparation strategies well ahead of Games,” Nesiama said.
“Thereafter, there is also the aspect of proper management during the Games to assure the plans are executed to the letter. That done, whatever the outcome becomes what it is.”
His remarks come as Team Nigeria continues to produce encouraging performances in Glasgow, reinforcing hopes that sustained planning, sound technical management and improved preparation can further strengthen the country’s competitiveness on the global athletics stage.
