The Struggle for Recognition
“Did you see Usain Bolt run last night? He was incredible!”
“Can you believe how many medals he won in Rio? Isn’t it great to see him doing so well?”
How many times did you overhear such discussions during the summer Olympics? It’s fantastic to be so proud of athletes and their achievements, but have the Paralympic Games been greeted with such passion? Why are the athletes of the Olympics worshipped, while the overwhelming achievements of the Paralympians are ignored?
Nigerians tend to be ignorant about a lot of things especially when it comes to sports. The typical line of our communication about sports goes like this- Football- more football and Oh! Olympics! We won bronze, yay! etc.
We hardly ever notice other sports or the word Paralympics. We need to ask ourselves why the Paralympics doesn’t get the amount of attention it deserves?
It has a lot to do with our attitude towards the physically-challenged. It is either patronising or ignorance. Probably, that is why Paralympics is not getting as much attention as the Olympics.
If there are controversies regarding Olympic successes, why is the Paralympic success any different. At least, we have considerable pride in Nigeria’s Paralympic success this year.
Having left the country for the games without any fanfare following our disappointing performance at the Olympics, the ‘Parathletics’ made us proud in Rio where they amassed a dozen medals. Eight of the total haul were gold while there were two silver as well as two bronze medals in the kitty.
The great Paralympians who brought home gold have been celebrated, but what we seem to neglect is that there’s a bigger picture to this. Athletes from the most deprived backgrounds and from the most disadvantaged nations can draw inspiration and determination to compete at the highest levels.
This sharp contrast underlines the inadequate awareness and care that the less-abled receive in Nigeria. Public facilities like restrooms, packing spaces and pedestrian bridges designated for the handicapped are evidently absent or repurposed in many places, while people in many developed countries such as Japan and the US make efforts to address their needs.
The Paralympics is not as celebrated as the Olympics, although both events should be given the same respect. Therefore, we must take the time to draw attention to the plights and achievements of the less-abled, so the public can give them the care and respect they deserve.