They drew majesty out of travesty with a performance credited as the best finish since debuting in the Paralympic games. After winning eight gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the Rio Paralympics held in Brazil last year, the unsung heroes and heroines had yet to be feted by the government. Five months after, some of the demoralised sportsmen battle with appalling living conditions unfit for champions. HANNAH OJO reports
On display was a stirring visage of triumph deserving of a performance described as ‘terrific and incredible’. With hands popped in the air like a pop star, Kehinde Paul warmed up to the cheering crowd in Rio, donning the green-white-green attire with pride and gusto. Paul won two gold medals at the Rio Olympics, breaking the men’s 65 kg world record in power lifting.
The 28-year- old, who suffered polio after an injection at the hospital as a child, had recorded winning streaks since 2009, debuting with a gold medal at a national sporting festival. He has also ranked in medals in the Common Wealth Games, All African games and the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championship held in Doha, Dubai. He was an enigma at Rio, where he broke the world record and set it twice with a 2018 KG and 220KG lift respectively.
Five months later, it was a dispirited Paul who met the reporter at the premises of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Wading through busy unpaved roads, Paul makes the long trip from Ogijo in Ikorodu to the stadium where he reports for training three times in a week.
“I don’t have a car. People believe that as an international athlete, I ought to have my own car and house. When they see me board a BRT bus, they tell me Nigeria is not treating me well. I am used to disregard and discrimination from people owing to my lowly status”, the sportsman bitterly lament.
In the 2012 Paralympics games held in London where Nigeria placed 22nd overall among 164 participating countries whilst finishing third behind Tunisia and South Africa among African countries, former President Goodluck Jonathan hosted the winning sportsmen to a reception at the State House. Dr Jonathan also announced the conferment of the Member of the Order of Niger (MON) on six of the 2012 Paralympic gold medalists and a cash reward of N5million each. Five silver medalists were rewarded with N3million each and two bronze medalists were rewarded with N2million; the team officials got N2.5 million each. The reception was like an elixir for the special sports athletes who, four years later, finished 17th place in the world and as number one in Africa at the Rio Paralympics. Other than their camping allowance and winning bonus, the high expectations of being received in the presidential villa has not materialised.
Seeing their fellow sportsmen from other countries post photos of cars and buildings presented by the governments of their countries has cast a bitter pill in the mouth of some of these Nigerian paralympians, The Nation learnt. Also, the sportsmen are made to contend with the challenge of feeding and catering to their health needs since many of them do not have a steady means of income. Added to this is the fact that some of the equipment in the dimly lit training rooms for power lifters in the National Stadium complex is dilapidated.
However, patriotism still beats in the heart of some like Paul, who said: “If given an opportunity to represent another country, I won’t take it. I like my country despite the fact that they (government) treat us woefully,” he stated, revealing a funny twist of irony.
Verdant of fury
Standing at 1.25 metres height, Lauritta Onye was that special athlete who drew cheers with her acrobatic dance style when she threw an 8.40m distance to win gold in the Rio Paralympics, breaking a world record. Five months after that historic dance of victory, Onye’s spirit has been dampened as a result of an unrewarded effort.
“I am extremely angry with our government,” a bitter Onye retorts when asked to comment on her expectations from the country as a paralympic champion.
“How can I work for my country and I got no reward?” she said in askance. “I don’t have a car. I am even ashamed of myself when I walk on the street,” she lamented.
For the 33-year- old Onye who started sports in 2008, hers is a sporting career decorated with laurels with no substance in material wealth to attest to her status as an international champion. At the Paralympics, she did not only throw a 8.40m shot put which won a gold medal, she broke a world record. Her other medal wins include a silver at the All Africa Games in Maputo in 2011. She also won a gold and silver medal at the African Championship in Tunis, Tunisia, setting a world record distance of 7.59 metres.
Onye won a gold medal at the world championship in Doha, breaking her own record by throwing a distance of 7.72 on her first attempt.
It was reportedly said that the sport lady was unlucky to have missed being rewarded for the feat she achieved in Doha at the world championship because the officials could not submit her name along with those who were forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari when he feted some winning athletes after the championship in 2015. This, no doubt, has added to her verdant of fury against the government.
When the reporter called her on phone recently, it was a sobered Onye who pleaded with government to do the needful and stop treating special sports athletes like beggars or job seekers.
Her words: “Having to beg the government to host us to a reception is discouraging. We worked for the medals and we are asking Nigeria to show appreciation for what we have done. I have a friend from England who won bronze but the government gave her a big place which she showed on Facebook. I participated in Shot Put. I did not just win gold, I broke records but I have nothing to show for it”.
The Paralympic champion, who has also made a foray into Nollywood, disclosed that she often gets into a situation when she is not able to afford regular meals or secure a means of transportation that can convey her to the stadium for training. Expressing a ray of optimism, however, she said she looks forward to corporate bodies and telecommunications companies giving brand endorsement to special sports athletes who have brought glory to Nigeria.
In a similar fashion, Bose Omolayo, another paralympian, who broke her own world record and set a new one of 138kg to win a gold medal in the women’s power lifting event, is also dismayed at the endless waiting for government’s reception.
For the bubbly and friendly middle-aged Bose, who looked like the woman next door with her polished nails and coiffed hair, a life of immobility on a wheel chair makes her a subject of ridicule from Lagos motorists.
“Many times, I am forced to wait for long at the bus stop. Most vehicles would not want to pick someone on the wheel chair because they do not have the patience to place my wheel chair in the boot. I am left to weather the hot sun on regular occasions because I cannot boast of a car of my own even though I am a world champion”, she submitted.
‘We need festivals to survive’
Team Nigeria’s group captain to the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Lucy Ejike, in a phone conversation with the reporter, pleaded with the presidency to call for a reception for the athletes in order to encourage other physically challenged persons nursing ambition to represent Nigeria at international competitions. She also espoused corporate organisations and corporate bodies to sponsor championships and organise competitions that will give opportunities to physically challenged sportsmen.
“It is what we receive that we ingest into our system. One cannot do sports without money; it saps a lot of energy. Also, when you train from January to December without competition, it makes the sportsmen to be discouraged, especially the new ones,” she added.
Corroborating her assertion is Feyisatan Are, a prominent coach who was trained and led many Nigerian special athletes to great wins in international competition. Coach Are disclosed that he often leaves his abode at Ikorodu by 3:30a.m to be at the stadium by 5:30a.m. in order to finish training by 10:30a.m., to enable the special sports champions go search for their daily bread.
M r Are, who disclosed that many of the paralympians often had to start their personal training before government sponsored camps are opened, described the task as daunting.
“We manage the little resources among ourselves. If I have money, I give it to them because you cannot get the best out of a sports man when he has not eaten. Again, the postponement of festivals is discouraging many of them because we rely on competitions to get money”.
Mr Cosmos Okoli, a former head of the Special Sports Federation of Nigeria and president of Mobility Aids and Appliances Research and Development (MAARDEC), an NGO which provides physically challenged Nigerians with mobility aids, charged the Federal Government to invest more in the result-yielding sports.
“Special sports athletes are giving us medals and therefore, we should invest more where we are getting results. The Nigerian government should fund disabled sports better by ensuring sports facilities are accessible to them”.
In the midst of receding government revenue, he conceded that although corporate bodies can play vital roles, it behooves government to create an enabling environment for corporate bodies to thrive.
“When I was the president of the special sports body, I convinced an uncle of mine to sponsor athletes. After he spent so much money on the game, tax officials went after him and doubled his tax. Rather than encourage him for sponsoring sports, they discouraged him with higher taxes. These are some of the things working against corporate organisations investing in sports. Apart from publicity and mileage, these organisations should also be able to get preferential treatment or incentives from government”, the Ashoka fellow stated.
Forward thinking CSR to the rescue
Can forward thinking Corporate Social Responsibility fill a gap in special sports where government is not forthcoming? The response appears in the affirmative. Whilst it is true that Nigeria’s showing at the Olympics has not been anything less than dismal since the past two decades, special sports athletes, however, have been a redeeming factor, saving the face of the country when abled sportsmen fail to bring home medals.
More often, government and corporate bodies have supported crowd pleasing sports like football, leaving special sportsmen with little or no encouragement. Findings by The Nation revealed that those who made it to represent Nigeria at international competitions only do some with their own determination and patriotism. Also, the condition of training appears not to favour many of them who are left at the mercy of their local coaches who are not placed on salary by government.
Hannah Babalola, a Rio Paralympian who is an African record holder in wheel chair racing, in a chat with The Nation, testified to the validity of forward thinking CSR, having benefited from a Union Bank deal which offered support to those who went to the Olympics.
“Union Bank did what no organisation has ever done. They sponsored the whole athletes going for the Olympics with the sum of N250, 000 each. I was picked as an ambassador from the special sports athletes and my photo was displayed on their banner. If two or three corporate organisations can do what Union Bank did, I think Nigeria will be able to pick more medals in the Olympics. It is unfortunate that Nigeria is not winning more medals at the moment since we are putting all the works on government”, she opined.
As things stand, the special athletes are awaiting members of the House of Representatives who promised to donate N50,000 each as a way of appreciating the paralympians who made Nigeria proud at the Rio games. Until then, the sad shadow casting a spell on the patriotism of these uncelebrated sports heros and heroines may linger.
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