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| Ivory |
That
Nigeria has recorded two gold medals in the paralympics should no more be news.
That when you go for championships like this, no one asks you ‘how did you win’
but you are asked is, ‘did you win?’
Nigeria’s Yakubu
Adesokan twice broke his own world record as he romped to powerlifting gold at
the London 2012 Paralympic Games while female weight lifter, Ivory Nwokorie,
got the second gold in the 44kg class.
Naturally, I have been
seen from a distance by many people in Nigerian sport as a bonafide renegade.
Why? When all turn right, the journalist in me will go left.
I warned the nation
three months before the London 2012 Olympics that from what I know of the
Games, we SHALL return barren. We did.
 |
| Yakubu Adesokan |
It is 11 days ago when
an avuncular friend and former member of the AAAN asked me of the paralympics.
I said: “like the preparation for the Olympics, the paralympians had never had
it this well, in terms of off-shore training before a major event.
 |
| Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi |
I also added, “God may
have in His infinite mercy have denied the nation through its able bodied not
to win even aluminium to give respect to the paralympians.
The two gold
medallists (and anyone who wins anything after) are our 2012 Olympic heroes and
heroines. The hidden hero who due to the massive disgrace from the last outing
is sports minister, Bolaji Abdullahi.
I remember when I said
it on a local radio station that called to find out my position on the two gold
medals. The reporter called me back if I did a mistake naming the minister.
I then asked: “since
1979 when I started representing Nigeria in the national teams to date, we have
never had a well designed pre-Games preparation like this. We had this because
the minister led the path. For this he deserves it. For this, the paralympians
had the best off-shore which paid off because their individual brilliance is at
play and the driving force in them is higher than the able bodied.
Applause please for
these great Nigerians whose feats bring some succour to our national interest.
Please, tell Mr.
President these ones deserve not only cash rewards but national honours.
Squinting backwards: The Paralympics is
incredible. The public seem to be embracing the event in a way we have never
seen before – open minded, and without preconceived ideas. The whole concept of
the Paralympic Games is that it should be on a par with the Olympic games.
On Wednesday night,
with the energy, the crowds, the volunteers, the fireworks, the noise, that
really was the case. To have Stephen Hawking at the centre of it all, a genius
with a truly global profile who for many symbolises what can be achieved as a
disabled person, was awesome. A lot of people tweeted to say you couldn't have
found anyone more appropriate to the job, and I agree.
There are 4,260
athletes competing and every single one has a story of overcoming the most
adverse conditions imaginable.
And you cannot help
but be inspired. These athletes train just as hard as their Olympic colleagues
but on top of that they have to go through the daily rigours of dealing with
their disability.
The dingy environment
of their struggling daily in Lagos, Kaduna, to train brings some memories of
supporting them when they violently protest against being discriminated by
Nigerian officials.
Coming and going for
their daily training schedules with the nerdy hustles and bustles rush into my
memories. It's mind blowing.
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