Nigeria’s Olusoji Fasuba on Yesterday’s Athletes Who Beg on the Streets, etc.

The Sun News Online has a very interesting article on reigning 100 meters world indoor champion, Olusoji Fasuba of Nigeria. Here’s an excerpt:

On his world title win in Valencia, Spain: It was great to have won in Valencia. To think of the incidents that took place before the final, one would say that there was something to it.

First, I had a cut in my finger the day before the semi-final and thereafter, had a strain in the semi-final, which made me to be very scared.

My coach was very supportive. He took me to some Spanish physiotherapists, who helped me to get back to form for the final.

On his refusal to use drugs, even legal ones: After I was examined, I was told that it was a slight strain and nothing to really worry about. The doctor gave me a drug to take for relief, but I refused because I didn’t want anybody to accuse me of taking an enhancing drug.

I was scared of the drug because I didn’t know if it would make me to test positive and therefore, put my whole efforts to nothing. So, I decided to remain the way I was in my own interest. In fact, I don’t want to have anything to do with drugs. God has given me the natural talent and ability to make the best out of my career.

On the Olympics and sponsorships for other sports: The Olympics is the biggest challenge for every athlete, just as the World Championship and the Grand Prix. In most countries, the lowest amount an athlete gets for reaching the semi-final of the Olympics is $100,000 and the money comes from big companies. But in Nigeria, no company is looking the way of sportsmen and women except footballers.

Footballers enjoy a lot of leverage from both the government and companies. They are on billboards. They enjoy sponsorships, but it is not the same with people in other sports. Athletes, boxers, wrestlers, weightlifters and people in other sports need such encouragement, they need to see their faces on the billboards too. Such a leverage can go a long way in boosting their performance.

If I get injured today, nobody will write-off my medical bills. All they are interested in is that I should win. Things are not done like that.

What follows next? Nobody is even remembering the person that won the 100m race. We need more companies to support athletics so that the upcoming talents can become stars tomorrow.

On what he’s thinking while on the track: At times, when you are on the track with other athletes, instead of concentrating on the race, you would be thinking about what life holds for you after athletics. The truth is that many athletes in Nigeria usually have divided attention while on the track, because most of them don’t know where their next meal would come from.

On former top athletes: I have seen some top Nigerian stars of yesteryears begging for money on the streets. It is really a shame. We need to have a plan for our athletes so that they can make the best of their future after retirement. Some of our athletes are taking up other nationalities in order to secure their future.

On whether he will dump Nigeria: I have had several offers from different countries who want me to represent them, but I kept looking at it from a different angle, which is why I am still in Nigeria, at least for now.

Before I went to Valencia for the World Indoor Championship, my state’s Governor, Segun Oni, was very supportive. I got to his office one day and he cut short his meeting with some big Yoruba Obas and other guests just to see me. He introduced me to them with so much pride and even gave me some money that day. I left the place very encouraged.

On Beijing 2008: At the moment, the only thing I have in mind is the Olympic gold. I want to do my best to make my state governor and Nigeria proud. My maximum concentration is on how to win a gold medal for Nigeria and I look forward to it. All I ask for now is the needed support from all, but after the Olympics I will redefine my next line of action for a better life.

On financial incentives for athletes: People should not see us as Oliver Twist, who would always ask for more. The truth is that we have a lot to take care off. We pay a lot of bills and I must confess that it is not easy doing athletics in Nigeria.

Many think that we request for money just for the fun of it, but the truth is that I need money to take care of a lot of things. For instance, ahead of the All Africa Games in Algiers, I spent over $6,000 on vitamins alone to ensure that I was ready for the Games, and thank God I won gold for Nigeria. When one considers the amount other countries spend on their athletes, one would realise that we are just suffering here.

All we need is encouragement. It is true we cannot compare ourselves with athletes from Europe and the Americas, but when we get the right incentives, we will do our best and make the country proud.