Paralympians moment of glory

What is news however, is the proposed presidential reception for the victorious paralympians at the banquet hall of the State House in Abuja this evening. So in few hours from now, most of the physically challenged athletes who few months ago meant nothing to anybody would be the cynosure of all eyes, especially those who […]

What is news however, is the proposed presidential reception for the victorious paralympians at the banquet hall of the State House in Abuja this evening. So in few hours from now, most of the physically challenged athletes who few months ago meant nothing to anybody would be the cynosure of all eyes, especially those who believe in equality for all in respective of physical conditions.

It is indeed too soon to forget that Team Nigeria attended the London 2012 Olympics with so much expectations and glamour but in the end, there was nothing to show for several months of preparations which took the country’s athletes to countries like Germany, Cuba, South Korea, the US and Britain. The country did not win even a single medal from the Games.

On the other hand, the Paralympics team which enjoyed neither adequate foreign training nor media hype ended up doing the country proud. It is now on record that the team did not only emerge 22nd country in the whole world but came third in the ranking of African nations at the Games. The last time Nigeria put up such sizzling performance was at the 2000 Sydney Games.

One thing worthy of mention is that in the history of Team Paralympics participation in the Games, there has never been any barren outing. This is a sharp contrast to their able bodied counterparts who are not strangers to such fruitless appearances at the Olympics.

In this year’s Paralympics, Team Nigeria with 29 athletes featuring in just four sports swept all the medals in powerlifting with at least four Nigerian athletes, Yakubu Adesokan, Esther Oyema, Joy Onaolapo and Folashade Oluwafemiayo not only winning gold medals but also setting new world records.

This is no mean achievement considering the fact that apart from not getting the best training before the games, they made use of mostly obsolete equipment at the games as compared to their counterparts from other nations who had more current and sophisticated ones.

However, it is said where there is a will, there is always a way and so the physically challenged athletes once again demonstrated the resilient spirit that is now lacking in most Nigerian athletes. The nation is poised to reciprocate the heroics of the paralympians and this will surely be a momentous moment for them.

Moved by the manner in which the athletes rose above their physical challenges to bring honour to the country, many Nigerians are of the opinion that something tangible should be done to honour the heroes and heroines.

A sports fan, Tunji Samuel said the planned presidential reception should not be another round of rhetoric and empty promises. He said government promises to victorious athletes have been more of political statements than reward for excellence.

“It is good President Goodluck Jonathan is going to host the Paralympians but from past experience, I am not moved by it. In the past, promises made to similar people yielded nothing. I just hope that government will look at the peculiarities of the paralympians and redeem promises that would be made”.

Misbahu Lawan on his part said government should order the National Sports Commission, NSC to give automatic employment to all the medalists among the paralympians. He said if this is not done, after the presidential reception, some of the athletes may be seen begging on the streets.

He also suggested that those who want to go to school among the athletes should be encouraged.

“I want government to direct the NSC to immediately employ all the medalists among the paralympians. In addition, those who want to go to school should be encouraged. This is the only way to positively engage them and encourage other athletes with similar physical challenges to work harder for future achievements.

“If this is not done, there is no guarantee that the same heroes and heroines today would not be seen begging on the streets tomorrow”.

A new dimension to the proposed reception for the victorious athletes was added when a Non-Governmental Organisation, Conscience Nigeria, reportedly asked the federal government to confer national honours on the Paralympians.

The group believes if national honours are based on patriotic national services, then the paralympians deserve to be decorated with befitting national honours today.

From available records beginning from the all conquring Super Eagles of 1994 to the 1996 victorious Olympians, it is evident that government enjoys lips service when it comes to redeeming pledges to athletes.

However, Nigerians are of the collective view that these are special athletes with special needs and something special should be done to prove in concrete terms that this is a new dawn for sportsmen and women who make sacrifices to bring honour to the country.