By Osagie Alonge
While Nigerians are celebrating the outing of the Nigerian Paralympic representatives at the just concluded London games, Team Nigeria athletes arrived the country with no officials from the National Sports Commission to welcome them.
The athletes are demanding the same recognition as given to their able-bodied counterparts. Nigeria finished 22nd with a total of 13 medals – 6 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze at the Paralympic games. Their counterparts did not win any medal at the London Olympics.
‘In our country, nobody regards us as anybody, nobody regards us as the specials, there is no budget for us. But in other countries when they are doing anything, their first consider the physically challenged people, the old ones but in this country there’s nothing like that‘, Gold medalist in the Women’s +82.50 kg Powerlifting category, Gloria Anozie explained to Channels TV.
‘So we found that if you don’t wake up, fight for yourself, do something better for yourself, you are not going anywhere, so we motivate ourselves to do what we are doing’, she further explained.
Watch the full video below…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6WhkoxuJ5Y[/youtube]
3 comments
Welcome our ambassadors!You‘ve done what Napoleon could not do.
It had been a successesfull outing,our dear paralympians!What the able-bodied couldn‘t do,you‘ve done.I salute from the bottom of my heart.
Kai na wa ooo. Why will dis country move forward wen those that are supposed to be thanked for a job well done are being abandoned. Any way congratulation my people. U guys are the pride of this nation. Una weldon ooo