While meditating on the performance of Team Nigeria at the ongoing Paris Olympics, I decided to have this imaginary conversation with the young sprint sensation, Favour Ofili.
‘Small girl danger’, congratulations on your historic outing on your Olympics debut. We are all proud of what you have achieved despite all that you passed through in Paris.
(She smiles) Why am I suddenly a ‘small girl danger’?
It is a long story but I will summarise it. When you started this business of running, you were very small. So, each time you were to compete against bigger opponents, one of my friends who is also your fan, would say just watch what that ‘small girl danger’ is going to do to those ladies. In most cases, you flew out of the blocks and breasted the tape ahead of others. So, that was how we began to call you ‘small girl danger.’ Even as you are now a young adult, nothing has changed much. You aren’t as physically imposing as most of those who compete against you, yet you are always very dangerous on the tracks. You take down bigger opponents with ease.
Oh! really? I never knew about this. Well, thanks for your compliment. I am feeling flattered.
Well, Favour, it is coming straight from my heart. As it is said in Nigeria, half bread is better than moimoi and nothing at all, at all, na im bad pass. So, how happy and satisfied are you with your performance?
Honestly, it was a very difficult moment for me considering the time that ‘Nigeria happened’ to me. I had laboured for so many years to qualify for the Olympics in two events, but in the end, I realised that I would be competing in only one. For inexplicable reasons, I lost the opportunity to run the 100 meters although I was a medal prospect. It was a bitter pill to swallow because nobody sat down with me to discuss anything. Even if somebody felt 200 meters was my main event, I had qualified in both. I wasn’t taken along by those who must have made that crucial decision. So, I wept bitterly and asked so many questions within me. Was it sabotage or what? All the same, I thank God that I was able to put behind that tragedy to put smiles on the faces of millions of Nigerians. After 28 years, which is really a long time, I became the first Nigerian athlete to reach the final in 200 meters. I am also happy that apart from the jinx that I broke, I proved my doubters wrong. The moment the sad news broke, many thought it was over for me, but God said no.
Of course, many of us at home concluded that someone, somewhere had decided to sabotage your efforts and deny Nigeria the opportunity to win her first gold medal in the event. Considering your recent races and the results you posted, we believed you would give the rest a run for their money in Paris. It is rather unfortunate that we used our own hands to destroy our glory. By the way, having been traumatised, how were you able to put up such impressive performances from the heats to the final?
It was the special grace of God. Actually, I was heartbroken but after I cried my eyes out, I decided to make maximum use of the remaining opportunity I had to prove to the world that I have come of age in world athletics. Secondly, whenever I am out there competing, Nigerians feel extremely proud of me. Most of them pray for me to win. So, I decided that the mistake, whether accidental or deliberate, by a few people was not enough reason to deny my ever-supportive compatriots their joy. I literally competed with my body and soul to make Nigerians happy, especially now that the country’s peace and unity is being tested by the #EndBadGovernance# protests.
My worry is that even before now, we witnessed such administrative failures but there were no punitive measures to serve as a deterrent. Even in your case, the usual heads-will-roll threat was issued but up to this moment, nobody has heard any tangible thing about the blunder by the Athletics Federation and the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC). Maybe, in the typical Nigerian way, the national embarrassment has been swept under the carpet. This is why we are where we are. People who commit even very serious crimes are not made to face the music. I doubt very much if any head is going to roll as promised by the Minister of Sports Development.
Anyway, as you are aware, a promise to unearth those behind my psychological torture was made so I am also waiting to see the outcome. But as you rightly pointed out, similar offences were committed in the past but there were no serious consequences to the perpetrators. I just hope that something different will happen this time.
We can’t continue like this. If it were in other climes, those responsible for the atrocity would have been sent home immediately. In fact, the offenders themselves would have packed their bags and left Paris as a sign of remorse. Instead, they have stayed back to partake in what is turning into another jamboree. After everything, they will be paid huge allowances in foreign currencies.
It was not a good experience. I pray it shouldn’t happen to even my enemy. In all things, I give thanks to God, my family and other Nigerians who stood by me. I am also happy that my fans are satisfied with what I achieved under such difficult circumstances.
Yeah, even though you fell short in the final, you didn’t disappoint us at all. So, where do we go from here?
Well, as for me, I am going back to Louisiana State University in the USA to continue to study, train hard and compete for more laurels, but for you, I don’t know.
That sounds funny. Okay, Favour Ofili, thanks for your time and keep your head high. We are all proud of you.
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