LAGOS - AT a time the Nigeria Athletics Federation is still seeking opportunities to get its men and women relay teams to qualify for the Athens 2004 Olympics, a concerned voice has cried out from the United States calling on the authorities to make "unity" their watch-word towards attaining success.
Mary Tombiri, technical support representative of an IT firm, sent an e-S.O.S to nigeriasports.com so that the Nigerian federation could find "urgent" solution to the present state of uncertainty pervading the athletics fraternity.
"There is an urgent need for Nigeria to build its team with a mindset of unity. It is only through 'unity' that we won the 4 X 100M (women) relay gold medal at the Victoria Commonwealth Games back in 1994. I believe the Nigerian team to Athens can equally do well if there is unity among the runners. Unity brings everybody together as a family and work for one-another as well," Tombiri told nigeriasports.com exclusively.
Tombiri was in the '94 team alongside the likes of Team Nigeria captain, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, (who is the only surviving member of that era) Beatrice Utondu and Faith Idehen. Before the Victoria games, the women had also against all odds won the bronze medal at the Barcelona '92 Olympics, which also featured Christy Opara-Thompson.The team's celebrations after the bronze medal feat in '92 is still used by the Olympic movement in advertising its call for "participation and not just winning."
"Yes, there can be no substitute to unity. Why I preach unity? Because, I know that is the only sure way to bring us the much desired medal at the Olympics. In this case, I'm talking about the Gold medal like we did it back in '94," Tombiri now a mother of one told nigeriasports.com.
Alhaji Abdulkarim Amu, Chairman, technical committee of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria recently said only the Women 4 X 100M relay team have qualified for the Athens Games. The federation is still finding meets to get its other teams - Men and Women 4 X 400M and the Men 4 X 100M- to berth at the Games. Only the best 16 teams would qualify for track relay events, a contrast from previous Games where each country went with teams and had a bulky programme.
"I think what the IOC has successfully done is to streamline everything, so that not everybody comes to the Games with intentions to running the relays. Now, only the best 16 teams representing every continent of the Olympic family would be represented. And in this case, there would just be the semi-finals and final," Amu said.
And for Tombiri, "we can achieve so much if we give ourselves to love and work together towards achieving that common purpose; which is VICTORY at the Games.
By Joe van Miebi
nigeriasports.com
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