The dismal performance of Team Nigeria at the Paris 2024 Olympics has been attributed to the absence of Psychologists in the team.
Speaking at the Annual National Conference of the Sports Psychologists Association of Nigeria (SPAN) held at the National Institute in Lagos on Wednesday, Professor Clement Fasan, who presented the lead paper said Nigeria would have fared better if Team Nigeria had been attached with Sports Psychologist.
Speaking under the theme: Optimizing Athletes Performance and Wellbeing: Challenges for Sports Stakeholders in the 21st Century, Professor Fasan, said: “We cannot talk of optimizing athletes’ performance without their well-being or welfare. Athletes are fragile and have expiring dates. They are susceptible to injury which can be vital and cut short their career. We must develop programmes and incentive methodologies to cater for their well-being and welfare. Without the help of Psychologist, the athletes cannot achieve much.”
Speaking in the same vein, Professor Seun Omotayo, said: “Both success and failure needs to be managed.
Tobi Amusan failure was due to lack of psychological management. Sport is scientific, without which talent and technique would not count for much.
Coaching is an integral part of coaching philosophy.
In his own remarks, Director-General National Institute for Sports, Professor Olawale Moronkola, said the event is coming at a most auspicious time when Nigerian sport is under scrutiny due to the poor performance in Paris. The theme is timely in the quest of all stakeholders in sports industry to propel better the fortunes of sports in all ramifications on Nigeria for better podium success in national and international competitions. We must take advantage of this event to correct a lot of things that has gone wrong in our sports.