Adam Olaore: Nigeria Olympic boxer says ‘a calm fighter can weather any storm’

The ambitious fighter, who calls himself a “hunter”, freely spoke of wanting to win Olympic gold even before he qualified for Paris, where he wants to go one step further than the three silvers Nigeria have previously won – albeit none since 1992.

“I don’t want to look too far ahead because you might trip over the hurdle in front of you,” said the Northumbria University graduate in sports science.

“So I’m going to keep focusing on the Olympics, see what comes and then I’ll focus on becoming professional afterwards.

“There’s a job at hand, which is preparing for the Olympics. I’m not feeling too overwhelmed.

“I’m now an Olympian, which not many can say. It’s going to hit me fully when I step foot into that athletes’ village.

“When we get out there, it might be a bit different because reality is going to be right in front of me.

“But I feel that when I’m there, with all the preparation done, I should be ready for one thing only – and that’s to aim for the gold.”

If Olaore can hit his target, he will be well on his way to becoming a Nigerian sporting hero.