MONDAY COLUMN – THE GREENLIGHT ---with EMMANUEL AREMOH--- VICTORY FOR ARUNA QUADRI A smile accompanied the pronouncement of his name. Hand on his suit to put it in proper shape. He steps forward majestically to the podium like a victor he has just become. But the smile was not so broad. It did not carry that convincing looks of one who was sure to get an award on that day. His face was that of bewilderment. Those who watched the ceremony could see the puzzle all over him. His heart jerked, leaving him with a frail body that could have given way at any little touch. But he managed to draw strength from the resonating applause at the venue which cheered him up. The audience could not hide their admiration for him. They welcomed him with a standing ovation. The atmosphere only reminds one of Achebes Okonkwo who rose to become a great warrior in his kingdom from a very humble background. The audience spontaneous action had no business with skin or colour. Their spontaneous action had no room for prejudice or sentiments. It is about excellence. This is the unifying force they all rally round and have come to celebrate. Obviously, this is the difference between our society and the rest part of the world. Were it to be us, we would have voted base on sentiments or ethnicity forgetting performance. But here we are, a man ranked 30th in the world beating the number one, two, three,... to become 2014 International Table Tennis Federation Star player of the year. This was a blessing to Aruna Quadri. This was a blessing to Mr Oluwole Abolarin who inspired him to start playing table tennis when he was just seven years old. This was a blessing to Nigeria. This was a blessing to Africa too. Because it would be the first time an African is clinching this prestigious award. Aruna Quadri steps forward. He picks the microphone to address the world. This is what he has to say today is the best day of my career and my life. I am dedicating this unbelievable award to my fans all over the world who took their time to vote for me. Unbelievable award? Hmmmm... What other expression would he have used ? He referred to the award as unbelievable because he knows where he is coming from. He knows how he has struggled to come this far. He remembers how it was so difficult to get money to play tournaments. He remembers how he would spend the whole of his salary to sponsor himself to competition. As he has noted in one of his interview with Daily Trust of January 17, 2015. it would surprise you to know that even as I have risen to the pinnacle of my career I have no sponsor. I still use my money and support from my federation president to attend tournaments. I am yet to get a sponsor in Nigeria.... This to me is touching. It reveals how all things bright and beautiful, Nigeria kill them all. In other climes, people like Aruna are worshipped, celebrated, and everything needed for them to succeed are provided. Endorsement upon endorsement. Contracts upon contracts are entered into. They rake millions of dollars into their coffers. Smile to their banks. And from their abundance, they set up foundations to help the society. When is this going to be so for our sports men and women? It has always been the same story all the way. One ugly situation that I noted with disdain is the way and manner our print media reported this great achievement. Most did not consider it worthy to make the good news their headline. But they could give the whole front page to Cristiano Ronaldo; a Portuguese who just won Ballon dOr for a record third time. The issue spread like wide fire.It became the talk of the town. Even my aged grandmother in her grave knew somebody has been crowned the world footballer of the year. Those who wanted the other nominees to win the award could not hide their frustration. You need to see the energy exuding from arguments. Even as I write this, it is still generating debate. But why is it that our own finest would not be celebrated is still a mystery. This also brings to the fore those who have dedicated the whole of their column and their entire write-up demanding for the head of coach Stephen Keshi. Since I have come to know them, It has been the same story all the way. I wonder what they will benefit from this share hatred for a gentle man who is only doing his job? I ask, are there no other topics to address? Off course, we know how the multitude could be wrong. As in the case of Jesus Christ and the world. This might be their own point of argument for staying put to their opinion. Aye! It is not the same here. We know when human voice is no longer making any meaningful impact. At that point, we expect such individuals to hide themselves from public ridicule. No one should see this as an invective. I know that a man is capable of great deeds. But if he is not capable of great emotion he leaves me cold. We cannot continue to live this way. We must support our own and make things better. There are a million Aruna Quadri who should be supported to bring their dreams to life. We need a million and one Oluwole Abolarin who can look into the future of young Nigerian lads and help them to become something in life not those who do not see anything meaningful in the lives of Nigerians.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Jan 2015 20:01:35 +0000
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