FOR Baliqis Otunla, winning three gold medals in weightlifting event at the 11th edition of the All Africa Games is the biggest achievement she has ever had. But her worry is not having someone by her side during such feat.
Otunla, who is making her first appearance at the Africa’s mini-Olympic Games, revealed to Akeem Lawal that she had to break up with her former boyfriend since he could not cope with her involvement in the sport.
“I was once in a relationship but it didn’t work out because my guy then was not comfortable with my calling as a weightlifter,” said Otunla after she wrought three gold medals in only her first appearance at the African Games in Congo Brazzaville. “He was complaining too much about my travelling for competitions, saying he cannot cope and even complained then that I will not be beautiful again because of weightlifting but I’ve decided to leave everything in the hands of God because I do not have to rush into any relationship again.”
She further explained that her focus is now squarely on her career until she finds a man of her dream: “I need a man that will understand me; a man that would give me support and be by my side to celebrate my success.
“I’m not in any relationship at the moment and I think this contributed to my success here (at the African Games) since there was nobody disturbing me with calls asking me when I’m coming back home or what are you doing and stuff like that.
“I was able to concentrate here but that does not say I won’t marry or go into relationship; in fact, I want it (relationship) and anything can happen any time by the grace of God,” Otunla admitted as she spoke on sundry issues.
Three gold medals on her debut at African Games
Well, I am extremely happy because, as a first timer, I never believe I could achieve such a great success. It was not on my mind to win gold medal but when we started and I saw that I was doing well, I said to myself that I should go for it. Also, it was not by my power but God’s. So when I made it, it was like a spirit came out from me and I felt, ‘so I’m still alive that I still have the ability to do it.’ I’m happy to have made such an impact. There is no sport (inclined) person in my family and when I told them that I won, they did not believe me. They asked if truly I won and I said to them that I did; it was then they now expressed gratitude to God that, at last, I was able to prove myself to them. That it was truly I wanted to go back into sport because they were not totally in support at the beginning of my career, they do not understand the sport or the importance of sport. They do not understand what it was all about. To them, I was wasting my time, playing away my future; that there are a lot of better things that I can do with my life rather than taking to sport. But with this success, they promised to celebrate it with me.
Road to success
Well, I will say it was not easy. It was rough, seriously and terribly rough. Rough in the sense that you have to train very well; stressful, struggle to make a better performance because it is all about record in weightlifting and what you have in your shoulder. Even if you have injury but once you pray and believe you can achieve good results, you will want to go ahead once you trained so hard.
Though it was rough, I enjoyed it.
Dumping school for weightlifting
I was disturbed by my parents to go school but I had to put it aside as a part time student of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta. I put it aside because I love this sport. I also went for fashion designing, yet I still could not finish it because of the love I have for weightlifting. But with what I have achieved now, I can go back to school and even to fashion designing. I really want to go back to school because I will not want to be a liability to any man. Also, one needs to plan for life after sport because I will marry and settle down to live with my husband and children. Even as pet fashion, if I learn it, I will design my cloth by myself. With education, one would be respected; nobody will underrate you or look down on you. You will be respected and get good positions in the society. I have made up my mind that I will not allow anybody to look down on me because if you don’t know, you don’t know and people will rubbish you, but I don’t want that to happen to me. Even though delayed, that does not mean I can’t go back to school because I have already promised myself education once I achieve success in weightlifting and now that I am getting there, I have to go back so that I will know right from left.
Picking interest in weightlifting
My getting involved in weightlifting was like a child’s play. It was not what I actually set out for. Then I used to play football, but because of the way they treated us which I didn’t like. Apart from the stress, they didn’t encourage us. At times, you would be begging for assistance, but you won’t get it. Even when you think you would make the team, you would be dropped. They would not pay allowance. So, when we were to go to Denmark but the trip was aborted without any concrete or genuine reasons, it was then I decided to quit football finally. And fortunately, I met one man Mr Ismaila Yusuf, a weightlifting coach at the National Stadium in Lagos who said I can do the sport. I asked, ‘how can that be possible when I do not have prior knowledge or any form of training?’ But he said I can do it. I told him I do not have the power to lift, he said it’s not about power but techniques and when I started gradually, I realised that I can do it. And in a particular day when I saw the way I developed with my muscles, I loved it and it was then I made up my mind to go into weightlifting fully and before I knew what was happening, I was invited to the national team and I said to myself this is where I belong; that it pays better than team event where I was not recognised and appreciated. I was invited to the national team for youth games and now I am at the top level of my career winning medals, and not just ordinary medals but gold and three at a time. I am really grateful to God and I am ready to do more.
Eyes on Rio 2016 Olympics
I was at 2012 National Sport Festival and I won three gold medals in 69 kg. Before then, I was in Egypt in 2010 for youth games qualifier, I picked three silver. That was my first international assignment before the Kenya Senior Olympic qualifier where I won three silver. This is the real thing that has happened to me, the big event. If my performance is okay for the Olympics, by the grace of God I shall be there to make the country proud as well as my family. I’ve been inspired by a lot of people and the first person I saw when I started was Juliet Ekueboh, a police officer, with her height and the way she carried herself but later left Nigeria and met another senior colleague who is in heavyweight category, Mariam Usman. She encourages one to always go for the best and a very determined athlete, so she is my role model.
Of course, I would have been happier if Mariam (Usman) had won a gold medal here; that she won silver does not mean she is not good, it has been destined to be because she is a go-getter. It’s a game and we all came here to win. What happened has happened, she still deserved the honour. She inspires me a lot.
