Of Nuts and Bolts
This is a quiz of sorts, I’ll reveal the ‘Bolt’ to you and thereafter you get to guess the ‘nuts’. Right then, here goes: the Bolt (surprise surprise!) is Usain Bolt, Jamaica’s fleet footed sprint marvel at the last Olympic Games, who won 3 gold medals. If you watched the Olympics you know what I’m on about and if not you should find out if there are tapes on sale and buy them or something. Simply put the guy is poetry in motion. There was also Michael ‘the torpedo’ Phelps who won an unprecedented 8 gold medals in swimming. Of course several others won all sorts of medals in all sorts of sports and are for the purpose of this write up ‘Bolts’.
On the other hand the Nigerian contingent made up of well over 100 people managed to win a grand total of 3 medals. In fact, Usain Bolt won more gold in Beijing than Nigeria as a whole has managed in its entire Olympic career. Even countries without citizens (Togo, Uzbekistan etc) and citizens without countries (Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe) won gold medals. But Naija nko? Zero!
Before they left for the games, the athletes were charged by no less a personality than Mr. President, to bring back 8 gold medals. My response to that ill conceived charge was a question I want to repeat here. If your guava tree produced oranges would you eat them? I mean 8 gold medals? Are you even serious, on the strength of what preparation? Our sprinters run 10.16 in the Mobil Track and Field meet and you expect them to go to the Olympics and perform magic abi? It’s ridiculous to say the very least.
I’ll never be able to understand why we cannot plan. Am I somehow unreasonable or is it usual that if you fail to plan then you plan to fail? I watched a news report recently on a soccer clinic held for 5 year olds in London and you could just see the stars of the future taking shape. 4 years from now in February or March 2012, the President of Nigeria will ‘charge’ our athletes to bring back 8 gold medals again. Why stop at 8? Go for a cool 100! Every country worth its salt has a sports development plan but we as a matter of deliberate policy have patented the ‘fire brigade’ approach. Charge them, they go and fail and sack all the sports associations boards thereafter.
Insanity is when you do the same thing and expect a different result. Did you work out who the ‘nuts’ are yet? Hint: It’s a reference to the state of their mental health.
On the other hand the Nigerian contingent made up of well over 100 people managed to win a grand total of 3 medals. In fact, Usain Bolt won more gold in Beijing than Nigeria as a whole has managed in its entire Olympic career. Even countries without citizens (Togo, Uzbekistan etc) and citizens without countries (Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe) won gold medals. But Naija nko? Zero!
Before they left for the games, the athletes were charged by no less a personality than Mr. President, to bring back 8 gold medals. My response to that ill conceived charge was a question I want to repeat here. If your guava tree produced oranges would you eat them? I mean 8 gold medals? Are you even serious, on the strength of what preparation? Our sprinters run 10.16 in the Mobil Track and Field meet and you expect them to go to the Olympics and perform magic abi? It’s ridiculous to say the very least.
I’ll never be able to understand why we cannot plan. Am I somehow unreasonable or is it usual that if you fail to plan then you plan to fail? I watched a news report recently on a soccer clinic held for 5 year olds in London and you could just see the stars of the future taking shape. 4 years from now in February or March 2012, the President of Nigeria will ‘charge’ our athletes to bring back 8 gold medals again. Why stop at 8? Go for a cool 100! Every country worth its salt has a sports development plan but we as a matter of deliberate policy have patented the ‘fire brigade’ approach. Charge them, they go and fail and sack all the sports associations boards thereafter.
Insanity is when you do the same thing and expect a different result. Did you work out who the ‘nuts’ are yet? Hint: It’s a reference to the state of their mental health.
Comments
Post a Comment