Paralympian asks his home country of Nigeria to start Paralympics committee to support athletes

From Punch in Nigeria:

The Nigerian special sports athlete sees his disability as ability. That is why in recent international meets, special athletes have rescued the country by winning medals where their able-bodied counterparts have failed.

But the Nigerian special athlete feels he is neglected by his immediate society despite putting the country‘s name on the world‘s sports map. Nigeria‘s core medals come from the disabled sports, yet they are the ones neglected.

They feel aggrieved because their dear country, as they believe, only uses and dumps disabled athletes. They reflect on their achievements for Nigeria, and become aggrieved that the country is unconcerned about their welfare.

A look at their performance at the last Paralympics speaks volumes of their ability to deliver internationally.

Ruel Ishaku was the cynosure of all eyes in the power lifting event of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics by winning the gold and setting a new world record in the process.

Ishaku, 40, hoisted 167.5kg to win the gold in the men‘s 48 kilograms category. He lifted 169kg in his fourth attempt and broke both the world records, previously set by Wu Guoying of China, in the process.

Albeit crippled by polio, power lifter Lucy Ejike was one of the eye-catching women at the Beijing Paralympics, winning the gold medal, and breaking the world record twice in the process. She set a world record, broke it, set it again and broke it again. Her winning mark was 130kg, while the old world record was 118kg held by Bian Jianxin of China.

‘The Hercules‘, as she is nicknamed, tried 137.5kg in her third lift, but failed but she had already made history.

In the field events, Eucharia Iyiazi won two gold medals in the women‘s discus F57/58.

Adesoji Adekunle, blind in his right eye and partially sighted in his left, was second in the 100m but still holds the honour of being the first blind man to sprint 100m in under 11 seconds.

Amoge Nneji lifted 132.5kg to win the silver medal in the women‘s 67.5kg category.

It seems like an unending story but is this about to change in the year 2009?

President of the Amputee Football Association of Nigeria, Prince Are Feyisetan, has represented Nigeria at several international powerlifting events including the Paralympics and was part of Nigeria‘s coaching contingent to the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.

Feyisetan expressed disgust at the total neglect of people he said should be given special treatment.

”Why call somebody special when in truth you don‘t accord that person his due respect? There is no welfare for serving disabled athletes and even when they retire, no provision is made for them. You are abandoned without help and left to your own fate after representing your country. You won‘t believe it but most of our disabled athletes are homeless, but even with all these hindrances, they are still ready to die for the country.

”It is also affecting the able-bodied athletes too except for those who were lucky to have joined the police, navy, army or other military bodies after retirement. I can tell you that if it wasn‘t for the police force, the likes of Sunday Bada or even Samuel Peter would have been forgotten today. Look at the likes of Jerry Okorodudu and Haruna Ilerika who did this country proud. Where are they now?

”Athletes generally need government‘s support. Those that want to go to school should be given scholarships. It will not be good that after representing your country at the Olympics, which is the biggest sports event worldwide, you will return home and start begging. In countries like America and England, they are treated specially but here we are used as rags and dumped.”

He added that the creation of a Paralympic committee would go a long way in solving the many problems of the country‘s disabled athletes, but advises that the body should be administered by people with disabilities.

”We don‘t need a federation for special sports any longer. What we need is a Nigeria Paralympic Committee like we have the Nigeria Olympic Committee to take care of sports for disabled people. With this arrangement, we will have chairmen for all the sports associations while the NPC will have a president and secretary. I believe that is what the NPC should look into and call us all so that we can discuss the way forward.

”But the NPC should be wholly made up of the disabled because he who wears the shoe knows where it pinches. They know the problems of their colleagues better and besides we don‘t want a repeat of what happened at the last Paralympics to occur again. When the participating countries gathered for a meeting, it was only Nigeria that presented able-bodied people running sports for the disabled. They were embarrassed.”

Tosin Dawodu, Nigeria‘s number one ranked wheelchair women‘s tennis player, laments the pathetic state she and her colleagues are in.

She said, ”I love Nigeria and I‘m ever ready to play for my country. But the problem is that the government is not encouraging us. I train so hard to bring honours to the country but after all that, the government will tell you there is no money for us to go for competitions. There is no future for athletes here in Nigeria, especially the disabled.”

Chimaobi Michael, an amputee footballer, also decried the way the Nigerian physically challenged athlete is treated.

Michael was an up-and-coming footballer before an accident on the field of play cut short his career and his left leg. But, undaunted, he played a role in the emergence of amputee football in the country. He too says after experiencing life on both halves, it has been tougher living with his disability.

”A disabled person suffers most in Nigeria. I do not want the young athletes to suffer what people like me have suffered. I‘m among the first set of people in amputee football in Nigeria and I know what we went through and are still going through. I want the incoming ones to enjoy the best of everything.

”Before I was amputated, I had the intention to make a name for my country and family, and to make money to take care of myself and also take care of people around me. Right now, I thank God that the little I have, I am able to still take care of some needs.

”But one of my regrets is that the government does not care about the welfare of disabled athletes. They use and dump us then throw us away like an orange. That‘s appalling. Even the lowest level of government does not bother about our plight. It is the same story all through. In fact, it is a big shame.”

Another special athlete, Emeka Uche, still cannot understand why they should be neglected after giving their all to the country.

”Nigeria won the 2003 All Africa Games courtesy of the medals won by special sports at the games. We also came to the country‘s rescue in Beijing last year but what is government doing to at least rehabilitate us?

”The disabled people do not have any sense of belonging because of the poor manner with which they have been treated by the country. It amazes me that the only thing they are looking for is what they can gain for themselves and not what they can do for the country. We‘ve won gold, silver and bronze medals for the country, but have been easily discarded by the authorities.

”I am unhappy with the treatment meted out to us and that is the feeling of every other handicapped person.”

Nigerian-born British athlete and amputee football player, Michael Isiguzo, who once plied his trade with defunct Nigerian champion, Stationery Stores of Lagos, had his right leg amputated after he sustained an injury while playing normal football.

The UK-based athlete sums up the plight of the Nigerian disabled athlete.

”The moment you become disabled in Nigeria you are automatically seen as a second class citizen, a burden and a hopeless person. While in the UK comparably equal opportunity is given to able and disabled people, sometimes priority is given to disabled people.”