For the first time in many years, top Nigerians athletes united under an umbrella to raise awareness in a campaign video against COVID-19 pandemic. Led by Nigeria Athletes Commission (NAC) representative, former D’Tigers captain, Olumide Oyedeji, the two minutes video had the voices of past and present top athletes from different fields lending their voices to how to contain the virus and keeping safe. They are Super Eagles icons; Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha, Ahmed Musa, Segun Odegbami and Samson Siasia. Others are Olympians Enefiok Udo-Obong, Mary Onyali, Blessing Okagbare, Chika Chukwumerije, Funke Oshinaike, Tobi Amusan, Blessing Okagbare, Mariam Usman, Aruna Quadri, Seun Adigun, and Oduayo Adekuoroye.
Speaking with TAIWO ALIMI, in an exclusive interview, Oyedeji talked about efforts put into making the project a reality and how Nigerian athletes scattered over the world were able to be a part of the video that attracted commendation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last week.
Oyedeji said: “It was a great initiative led by the NAC which I am the chairman alongside other members like Blessing Okagbare, Mariam Usman, Aruna Quadri, Seun Adigun, Oduayo Adekuoroye and others. It was a very difficult one with everyone coming from different places and different direction. We asked all to send their voices and lend a hand to the campaign and they compiled. It was a difficult one but we were able to pull it together and it actually proved to be one of the best that was received by the IOC and that earned us the IOC commendation for what we did.”
Sharing personal experience in the lockdown, the former NBA player, who posited that athletes find it harder in a lockdown, added that keeping alive is more important. “Lockdown is been very difficult, but nevertheless we have to keep alive because lockdown will not be forever. It is only when you are alive that you can talk about lockdown after COVID-19. It’s also been exciting and I’ve been busy and staying indoor too. Though we cannot do a lot of things but we have to be focused on keeping alive. I also want to appeal and campaign for other sports people to stay safe and stay clean and keep distance. It tough but keeping alive is more important.”
Oyedeji spoke on other issues around the COVID-19; lockdown, implication to athletes and how the sport ministry must plan for post pandemic. It is interesting and revealing. Excerpts:
Let’s start with the campaign against COVID-19. In the video the NOC president, Habu Gumel, Sport Minister Sunday Dare and Nigeria’s top athletes home and abroad lend their voices to the campaign video, how did you pull it off?
The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) with the Nigeria Athletes Commission (NAC) just decided to put together the campaign for COVID-19 with the voices of Nigerian athletes. It was a great initiative led by the NAC which I am the chairman alongside other members like Blessing Okagbare, Mariam Usman, Aruna Quadri, Seun Adigun, Oduayo Adekuoroye and others. It was very difficult one with everyone coming from different places and different direction. We asked all to send their voices and lend a hand to the campaign and they compiled. It was a difficult one but we were able to pull it together and it actually proved to be one of the best that was received by the IOC and that earned us the IOC commendation for what we did.
Whose idea was it and what goes into getting all athletes in different fields under one umbrella?
The idea of getting all the athletes under one umbrella is for the game to have one voice. According to the IOC, athletes’ voices must be heard and must be involved because they are the commodity. SO, without athletes there is nothing for anyone to administer. They came up with the athlete commission to be put in place by every national federation where athlete voice must be heard. So, we came together in order to see how Nigerian athlete could be heard and we came up with very credible athletes that can represent their fellow athletes and make their voice known and heard. It is important that we do this for everything to be in or der alongside the Sport Ministry and the NOC is very essential.
IOC President Thomas Bach commended the efforts of NAC, what did that mean to you and other athletes?
For IOC President commending the efforts of Nigerian athletes is something that is commendable and something that is good. I am very excited about it. At least, for us to be named and for us to be set as an example and for other people to know that Nigeria wants to be a pace setter in the good things and in the right direction for other people. We are very excited and very happy about it.
How do you react to the Olympic postponement considering the effect on athletes?
For the Olympic postponement I believe that it is a right decision because the health and the welfare of the athletes are ex tremely important; not the athlete alone but the coaches and the people that would come around from all over the world to see the games too. As you can see the pandemic is real and it keeps spreading so you never know what is going to happen. So, the health is very essential. In particular when athletes cannot focus on practicing with the social distancing thing, mentally and psychologically, the athletes are already down. Everyone will have to stay at home for many weeks and by the they come back to compete it would be really difficult, it’s going to be tough meaning they will have to push themselves to the extreme and it can result to injuries. So, you might not get the best quality for the Olympics. So, it is a good thing that IOC is postponing so that the athletes can get themselves together after the coronavirus pandemic is over.
You had a discussion with the IOC President over grants to Nigeria athletes, what other things did he tell you?
I probably had a discussion with the IOC President about the grant and I asked a question and he replied that the grant will continue through to 2021, which is a great relief. At least, the athletes can support themselves with the grant. I also asked question about the athlete commission in working with ADECO. ADECO is a company that works with athletes while in sport and also out of sport. It is a great program initiated by the IOC and Nigeria will benefit from this in the next three months after the pandemic. He promised us that we are going to benefit and that will help our athletes to get trained and do other things while they are in sport and out of it. So, they can make themselves valuable and relevant after the end of their career.
As Nigeria athletes’ representative in IOC, what does it mean to you and how do you hope to make your role beneficial to Nigeria sport?
It is a great opportunity and priviledge. I already had the opportunity to represent Africa at FIBA player commission for five years and I enjoy it. I am very excited to be part of this and for the belief and trust they have in me to be able to represent Nigerian athletes and speak on their behalf. It is a challenge and a trust that I must live up to.
With my experience I would make my role beneficial to Nigerian athletes. I played for Nigeria for 20 years and know what the players want. I know what athletes need and what is needed to be done. I want to ask for the support of the Ministry of Sport and the NOC for them to make sure that Nigerian athletes’ voices are heard and they are put in the decision making process. They should be put into consideration and have a good and mutual relationship with the ministry. This is important and how the ministry of sport can also improve by getting the feedback direct and not from a third party.
How are you coping with the lockdown?
Lockdown is been very difficult, but nevertheless we have to keep alive because lockdown will not be forever. It is only when you are alive that you can talk about lockdown after COVID-19. It’s also been exciting and I’ve been busy and staying indoor too. Though we cannot do a lot of things but we have to be focused on keeping alive. I also want to appeal and campaign for other sports people to stay safe and stay clean and keep distance. It tough but keeping alive is more important.
How can the Nigeria sport ministry ensure that the pandemic does not have greater adverse effect on Nigerian sport?
The pandemic will affect sport for sure. Already it has affected so many things and not only here in Nigeria but all over the world. You can see the NBA shut down, EPL shut down, the Bundesliga, Italian league, and La liga are completely shut down. Even the NHL is shut down. In-fact every sport is affected.
So, we just have to come up with programs that can engage our athletes and can put food on the table immediately after the pandemic.
We have to prepare for post COVID-19. Activities must be scaled up for the athletes. This is the time to begin to think about engaging programs that will educate the athletes and get their back on their feet mentally and psychologically because it is also a psychological trauma. We have to put in place things that would be beneficial to the athletes to get them back on their feet and running as soon as possible.
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