Nigerian shot put athlete Sade Olatoye has disclosed that she and her teammates received no financial assistance from the Nigerian government during their preparation for the 2024 Olympics. In an interview with NewsCentral, Olatoye shared that the entire cost of their training, including coaching, medical expenses, and competition fees, was self-funded.
Olatoye revealed that they only learned about potential grants when they reached the championship stage, but these grants barely covered two percent of their total expenses over the four-year training period. “Pretty much every year, me and my teammates, everything is out of pocket,” Olatoye stated. “We pay for our own training, coaches, medical, competition—so everything is out of pocket. It is not until we get to the championship that we start hearing about potential grants. I have been training for four years, being given the grant at the competition, which doesn’t pay for 2% of what I pay out of my pocket for four years of training.”
Olatoye’s candid revelation highlights the significant financial burden Nigerian athletes face in their quest for Olympic success, raising questions about the level of support provided by the government to its sports representatives.
