British passion for boxing
The huge turnout of fans for the boxing event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games confirmed the interest this sport is getting among Britons.
The boxing arena at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) accommodated huge fans as every seat was occupied. With the capacity crowd, the boxers were not lacking cheers as every punch was greeted with an applause. Even when a British women boxer knocked down a Seychellois in less than one minute, the venue was thrown into a frenzy following a big shout out from the master of ceremony (MC).
Birmingham’s angelic bus drivers
Public bus drivers are like angels on wheels here in Birmingham due to the humaneness, especially to passengers regardless of their age. In the UK, the transport system has everybody in mind – young, old and disabled. Everybody is treated like a king, and there are facilities in all the buses to ensure nobody is denied access. I benefited from their good deed when I was heading to the venue and was standing at the bus stop with no hope of getting a bus because it was the weekend. But one of the angels on wheel sighted me with the tournament accreditation and he decided to pick me. This for me was one of the virtues displayed by the drivers. Most times, they are willing to stop and help the aged and disabled to get onto the bus. I hope our drivers can become like this in the near future.
Ghanaian scientist in the ring
Despite losing her first-round fight to England’s Kerry Davis in the women’s middleweight boxing event at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Ghana’s Ornella Sathoud held her head high as a chemist who decided to pursue her dream.
Sathoud who is making her third appearance at the Commonwealth after her debut at 2014 Glasgow, was born to Congolese father and a Ghanaian mother and she gave her best against her opponent but her efforts were thwarted in the second round by the English lady. Sathoud, according to a Ghanaian journalist, is a US-based Process Engineer who studied analytical chemistry and graduated with a PhD from the University of Delaware in the US. We hope other African athletes can take a cue from Sathoud by marrying sports with education to have something to rely on after sports.
Proudly Nigerians everywhere
I was impressed with what most Nigerians in the UK are doing especially when it comes to promoting the country’s rich cultural heritage especially from the names given to their children to teaching them indigenous languages. In my interactions with most families in Coventry where I reside, I realized most of their children bear Nigerian local names and speak freely Nigerian languages though tinted with the peculiar British accent. I was taken aback even more so when the child of my host in Coventry prostrated in what is associated with people of South Western part of Nigeria. Before I forget, I have not missed local dishes since I landed here in the UK. Indeed, Naija no dey carry last.
Top notch hospitality
The reception put together by the organisers of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham has been quite impressive, most especially on the part of volunteers who are always at the ready to assist. The volunteers are friendly and eager to assist while the military personnel deployed by the British government once again showed that being armed does not guarantee brutality. All these as well as the hospitable ambiance across the venues have made the coverage and participation in the event cheering for everybody.