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A Sporting Chance |
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by Mark T. Jones |
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The London 2012 Olympics was a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. For the casual observer, the spectator and armchair critic it may have appeared to be an exhilarating two week jamboree or an obscenely costly indulgence. To the athletes, trainers and the legions of those who played their part in shaping and executing the 2012 Games it was potentially a life changing experience, one that is best explained at a human level. The experience of two Nigerien athletes is almost certainly typical of that of sports men and women from other developing nations.
Single skulls is exacting at the best of times, but with no special diet and no specialist training it is little wonder the Nigerien found the experience daunting. “In truth we had received totally inadequate physical preparation. Yes, I have strength, but I lacked both the technique and especially the cardio training that is vital for rowing.” Whilst evidently proud to have had the opportunity to represent his country, he was critical of the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron (FISA) - the International Rowing Federation and The Nigerien Olympic and National Sports Committee (Comité Olympique et Sportif National du Niger, COSNI) for not ensuring that a choice of halal food was made available at training centers such as Bloso Topsportcentrum in Belgium – the lack of culturally appropriate food there were days when he had been unable to eat whilst in Belgium. Issaka beams with pride when discussing rowing at Eton Dorney, “It was absolutely incredible. The crowd was fantastic. They really helped me. I was determined to do my best for my country and my personal honor.” Whilst a few seasoned rowers might have questioned such a rowers presence at the 2012 Olympics, the adulation and warmth of spectators at the London Olympics helped make up for some of the inadequacies elsewhere. Issaka’s spirited performance not only earned him the admiration of the crowd, but also excited considerable media interest. Niger’s rowing ‘hero’ is adamant that he does not seek special favors; “...if countries such as Niger are going to have any chance of winning medals at Rio 2016 governments and sports authorities need to invest now. We have the ability, but lack the sporting infrastructure and proper training.” Attending international tournaments has the added challenge of the fact that competitors from developing countries are not even given any money to help with basic expenses. Governments, even cash strapped ones need to remember that the health and well-being dividends from encouraging competitive and recreational sport cannot be under-estimated. In the end neither Moustapha nor Issaka came away from London with medals, but on the strength of the tremendous spirit that what we have witnessed this summer it is clear that athletes from the developing world deserve to be given better preparation so they are at least in with a sporting chance. With additional thanks to Abdoul-Kader Amadou Mossi for acting as translator. |
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27-Aug-2012 | ||
More by : Mark T. Jones | ||
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