I'm wondering if an event would not have been rescheduled if Usain Bolt had two clashing, I may be wrong. When I heard Blessing had to forfeit the long jump for the 200m, I was disappointed and suspected a ploy by the organizers to disenfranchise her as the long jump field was not expected to be tough. I kind of chilled out when I learnt that another Nigerian won the event instead of Blessing with a leap of just over 6.5metres. All Blessing would have needed was just one jump to exceed 6.5m and clear out that entire field but she was denied sadly. She must be glad her gamble paid off eventually winning the 200m race like a Don.
What happens next after the games? I read on the BBC sports website a few days ago that commonwealth event organizers gave a stern warning to Nigerian officials about the shoddy and inconsistent manner in which the nation's athletes were clad for their respective events. It appears that there was no framework or spelt out protocol for kitting Nigerian athletes before hitting Glasgow; unauthorized sponsors appeared on kits mostly revealed after tape used to conceal them inadvertently failed. Every participating association seemed to have done what was within their means to obtain gear for their wards, perhaps visiting local sports shops at the national stadium. Apart from the athletics federation, most of the others do not seem to have things going well for them at all with the table tennis players turning out in fluorescent green shirts and the lifters in black adidas gear.
I watched a Nigerian lifter in the 100kg plus clean and jerk yesterday evening and felt pity for him as he laboured to hoist his third attempt just before his right knee gave way. I wonder who would bear the cost of his recuperation, I also wonder if he had in fact gone into the games already battered by nagging injuries. It looks to me that the fellow's career may well be over on the international scene, he looked nothing less than 40. We should thank Daniel Igali for whatever he is doing in the wrestling federation, his crew seems to have contributed the most to the nation's modest heist of medals. The man Igali must have been labelled as a traitor when he dumped Nigeria for Canada just after competing and losing out at the commonwealth games held in Canada. The man went on to become an Olympic gold medalist albeit for Canada in his weight division and he has since returned to channel whatever he has gained from his sojourn there to breed new wrestlers that have in fact brought glory to the nation.
What did Igali lack with Nigeria that Canada gave him? I remember watching Francis Obikwelu set a national record in the semi-final of the 200m event of the Seville world athletics championship. He progressed to the finals and ran a slower time to come third behind the American Maurice Green who also ran a slower time than what Francis did in the semi. Why did Francis not seem to have the requisite mentality to ride on his momentum and dump the ever showboating American? Francis was raw talent, always started slowly from the blocks in the 100m and made it a habit of chasing and catching his rivals. It seemed he lacked the necessary support crew and trainers to make him a true world beater so it was not a surprise when later in his career he opted to turn out for Portugal. The man seemed to deal with his demons thereafter and powered to silver at a world championship in the 100m even against a very strong field. Gloria Alozie also dumped Nigeria for Spain. She had risen to become a top class hurdler and regularly turned out to start the relays for the Nigerian women at major events. This woman was tipped to get gold at the Sydney Olympics but was derailed when her fiance, also an athlete got knocked down and killed in the early days of those games. I am not certain if she received sufficient support from the Nigerian Olympic committee and our golden girl found her way to Iberia.
Blessing Okagbare took the long jump bronze medal in Beijing at a time when Nigerians thought we had gone to another Olympics to watch Indian film. She soon started to really perform at the short sprints, gradually improving and coming really close to the prime medal most times occasionally edged out by a few centimeters or over exertion from too many meets. She was the only shining Nigerian light from the last world IAAF championship and got 3million naira from the government for her silver and bronze. I do not know if they invested any dime in her preparations towards this games. She seemed to have had a well controlled build-up to this games not featuring too frequently at all the golden and diamond league meets. Whatever she is doing and whoever is bankrolling her are spot on. My fear is that she'd get maybe 10million from the government and that is it again till Rio when many will expect her to perform magic again. I am mostly glad that she's dealt with whatever psychological deficit she may have had more than even the times she ran. That is what is deficient in most of our athletes. I learnt Dr Uduaghan was jumping allover in Glasgow sounding out that Blessing is from Delta state; last time I checked, it's Nigeria not Delta printed on her kit.
The top echelon of Jamaican sprinters aren't even active in this games but their reservoir cast and wannabes have pulled their weights. Someone pointed out that all Nigeria's gold medalists have been women, whatever happened to the men? Have they all lost their mojo? Do the police not produce the likes of Sunday Bada (God rest his soul) anymore? We once had the Ezenwa twins, Olapade, Effiong, Imo, Fasuba, Aliu and many more brilliant athletes. What happened to the likes of Duncan Dokiwari, Izorinte brothers, Jegbefume, Ajose and the many boxers who have dazzled the world? Thankfully, it seems Segun Toriola is going to leave table tennis in good hands but have we run out of tables in Nigeria?
I was at the relic called the national stadium Lagos one morning a few weeks back. The number of potential subjects that could be channeled into various sports was there for all to see. All shapes, all sizes they were many without breakfast but exerting themselves all the same. If only the authorities care, if only they thought clearly on how to harness such great human resources instead of losing them to drugs, kidnapping syndicates, "area boyship" and prostitution amongst other vices. No be everybody suppose play ball. They appoint all sorts of people like water engineers and ruling party loyalists to head sports. These ones soon get muddled up in imposing and deposing football federation chairmen and heading delegations to FIFA under 17 men tournaments at the expense of shooting, chess, kayaking, wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, judo, taekwando, hockey, volley ball, handball, basketball, swimming, tennis, para-sports and athletics amongst others. They should observe the current south African sports minister on how he conducts his work, at least they have DsTv. A nation of over 160million individuals (speculatively) to be trimming down events to 7 or thereabout is shameful indeed.
I hope Blessing stays on for Nigeria, I hope the likes of globacom see a need to not just reward her but massively invest in sports at every level in the country obtaining incentives from the government in return. Would it be out of place for telecommunications giants to sponsor secondary school interhouse sports competition or university games? That way many ladies wouldn't retire after secondary school or university. A Singapore lifter yesterday is 23years old and a medical student. If he was in Nigeria, his teachers would regard him as foolish and frustrate him to the point of withdrawing from the program. The young man from Botswana who ran past the 800m world record holder yesterday featured at the last varsity games in south Africa despite already being a world class athlete. We have a generation wasting away in Nigeria, one that has been wired to present their bodies and neural elements before politicians and religious rulers to tread upon. Who says we cannot produce more world class sprinters from Lagos in one year than the small Caribbean islands can ever dream of in decades.
Congratulations to Blessing and all who have done their very best at this games. She's really a beautiful lady and I hope she has been or is found by a deserving man. I hope the glos of this country give her a mega sponsorship deal instead of gifting such to performers that cannot even sing on key and blame sound engineers for being found out.
I hope the funds generated for victims of terrorism yesterday will trickle to our athletes; they are also victims of a failing nation.
Arise Nigeria and free yourself from mental slavery.
Jide akeju
1st august 2014
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