NO doubt, football is a popular sport. It is so popular that it has completely relegated other sports to the background. The craze and enthusiasm which football enjoys oftentimes raises the question about the future of other sports.Much as it cannot be contested that football is a highly intriguing, spectacular, lavishly entertaining and sight-friendly game, yet it does not suffice for us to pamper the round-leather game to the utter detriment of other sporting activities such as athletics, basketball, boxing, weightlifting, to mention just a few. Notwithstanding human gifts, talents, abilities and natural endowment in all spheres of professional calling varies.
It is taken that every individual is blessed with one in-born gift or the other by the benevolence of our creator. This means that every living human has a gift deposited in him or her to exhibit for personal cum global human benefit and to the glory of Almighty God. As human beings abound, so do talents and gifts differ even in sports. Therefore, there is no way everybody could have been a footballer; just as it is impossible for all sport lovers to be football fanatics. There are numerous youths in the country with latent talents in basketball, boxing, athletics, the martial arts, volleyball wrestling and other sporting endeavours which are begging for discovery and exposure into national and international competitions through which they would bring ultimate glory to their father land.
At this juncture, the question arises about the place of the aforementioned sports which are usually derogatorily referred to as “lesser sports” by overzealous football enthusiasts who, incidentally, form the decisive majority anywhere that sports matters are being discussed in committees, circles and organisations.
Going down memory lane, boxing was the first to bring fame and glory to the country. Yes, the exploits of legendary pugilists such as Dick Tiger, Nojeem Mayegun, Isaac Ikhuoria, Peter Konyegwachie, Hogan Jimoh and Jeremiah Okorodudu readily come to mind in this instance as champions who spear-headed the country’s superlative dominance on the African continent. Professional successes were recorded by greatslike the late Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey who ruled the world in his weight class in his hey days. Another Nigerian boxer who left an indelible mark in the world of professional boxing was Dick Tiger.
In the recent past other Nigerian pugilists have done the country proud. Obisia Nwankpa, Jeremiah Okorodudu, Joe Lasisi, Bashiru Ali, Segun Ajose and very recently Samuel Okon Peter have all proven their mettle in the boxing rings.
Also in tennis, time was, when Nigeria was the cynosure of all eyes; not only in Africa but on the global circuit. Those were the days of Nduka The Duke Odizor who took Wimbledon by storm from relative obscurity. He qualified for the All-England Tennis tournament through a wild card and surprisingly served and smashed his way all up to the quarter-finals stage of the competition as an unknown entity in the world of tennis.
Odizor’s feat, according to the late Sports journalist, Ayo Ositelu, did a lot to place the global spotlight on Nigeria. “I remember when he won the match that got him the quarter-final berth, journalists from all over the globe started asking about him. They wanted to know who he is, what he eats, how he trains, who his coach is and so on… all Nigerians who were there became celebrities over night;’’ the maverick sport writer of blessed memory wrote.
So much was the exuberant display of our athletes that even prominent nations known for athletics like the United State of America, Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom shuddered at the site of Nigerian sprinters. On the African continent, it was like there was something about the Nigerian genealogy that depicted prowess on the track and field events. Nigerian sprinters, quarter-milers, shot put throwers, high jumpers and long jumpers were like untouchable giants across the continent. It was total domination. Thanks to the likes of Chidi Imoh, Olapade Adenekan, Davidson & Ezinwa, Rotimi Peters, Moses Ugbusien, Innocent Egbunike, Sunday Uti, Kayode Olufemi, Sunday Bada and Yusuf Alli in the male category. African queen of the track for so long, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, Beatrice Utondo-Okoye, Charity Opara Thomson, Faith Idehen, Falilat Ogunkoya and Chioma Ajunwa all held sway in the female category.
Even in other sports like weightlifting, wrestling (freestyle and Greco-roman), hockey (Tunde Popoola and Patrick Ukah), table tennis (Atanda Musa, Segun Toriola ), taekwondo (Chika Chukwumerije) the country produced history makers in their respective areas
The most recent honour to Nigeria in the sports arena is the feat achieved in athletics by Blessing Okagbare who gave us a shining silver medal in long jump in a global athletic tournament that is equivalent in organisation to football World Cup. This remarkable success was only celebrated by the media with little or no meaning to the average Nigerian. Imagine one of our national football teams at any level winning silver in a global tourney. Alas! All roads would have been closed in tremendous jubilation. When Nigerian athletes clinch even gold at international meets, it’s no news but when the nation’s First Eleven fail to cross the quarter- final hurdle, the world goes blank. Even the beer and pepper soup seller will feel the griming mourning in the air. That is how much we have allowed football to swallow the other sports erroneously regarded as ‘lesser’
Why is this so? Are we becoming a monosport nation like Brazil and Argentina? Meanwhile, we seem to be losing sight of the fact that we even stand better comparative advantage in athletics than we do in football when it comes to continental and intercontinental competitions. Fellow African countries like Ethiopia and Kenya do play football too but they do not worship the round -leather game to the detriment of athletics. Certainly, these countries ensure that sizable amount of money that will enhance success in other sports, particularly athletics, is voted for such sports even as football administration is also taken care of. In Nigeria, however, we seem to pretend that other sports are nonexistent.
There are football academies spread all over the country. Yes, this is good for grooming of future professionals in the game but where are the equivalent training institutes for training the hopeful in other sports? No wonder one highly placed government functionary in Nigeria once declared at the state reception held in honour of the Atlanta 96 Olympics football gold - winning team led by legendary Kanu Nwankwo that “football gold medal is the mother of all gold medals.” This explains why other sports suffer neglect and are meted with underdog treatment by those in positions of authority.
And now, who can still say that football is not king of sport as Nigeria again is on its way to Brazil, having crushed Ethiopia both home and away to join revered league of football nations for the prestigious World Cup tournament coming up in the Samba country next year? As we explore this piece to wish the Super Eagles safe journey to Brazil and a glorious return from the tourney, we still ask: Why football only?
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
No comments:
Post a Comment