Growing up watching Nigerian National Football Teams of 1980s and 90s dominate world football at all levels, it was easy for guys of my age-group to dream of wearing Nigerian Jersey one day, but as destiny would have it, Yekeen, Keshi, Iroha, Siasia, Okocha, Kanu, Babayaro, Amunike, Rufai & their mates snatched the only available slots and the rest of us dreamers were left to lick our wounds. Some decided to face education/business, some went into politics with the hope of being appointed as the Sports Administrators and then use that opportunity to enter into the National team at the age of 43 or thereabout, some continued to hope they would be called up whenever any of the established players got injured (those are Level 5 Dreamers, lols) while the remaining few millions just accepted the fate to become supporters (but hey, its okay to concede defeat to any team that gave football lesson to the whole world {Brazil & Argentina included} during Japan 93, Tunisia 94, USA 94 & Atlanta 96 Olympics games- The Golden Era Of Nigerian Football). And there was me!!! With no hope of displacing Okocha, I decided to try many other sporting activities, successful in some e.g Bronze Medal in Squash during Nigerian University Games, and not really successful in the other one e.g football again (I am a level 3 dreamer). I thought it would be wise to forget about Cycling after falling off every time I mounted the damn 2-legged-thing. And because of Kenyans and Ethiopians, I really didnt give myself any chance in Marathon. So, I only ran whenever there was nothing much to do in school (During Strike Actions). Who dares think of taking up East Africans at long Distance? Definitely not me. Tiger Woods took charge of Golf while King Roger Federer built his castles around every tennis courts you can think of. So I turned them into hobbies rather then careers. Fast forward few years full of many events in between, without ever planning or laying foundation for it, here I am, representing Ireland in Kayaking. OUT OF ALL SPORTS, KAYAKING!!! Though not yet a champion, but come on, as the saying goes, The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. And who says I cant conquer the water sport in Rio De Janeiro come 2016; may be that would even facilitate a call up into Nigerian Football Team at last (Im now turning into a level 5 Dreamer)? The moral of the story: #Never_Stop_Dreaming_But_Learn_To_Accept_The_Fate_You_Have_No_Power_To_Control.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 00:27:52 +0000
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