Nigeria will bounce back – Sunday Uti

In the run up to the track and field events at the 1984 LA Olympic Games, Nigeria had medal hopes in the 400m men event. That hope was highest in Innocent Egbunike and with good reasons too. By the time of the final, Egbunike had won all his heats and even coming into the Games his win record was high. However, come the final and in less than 50 seconds it was all over. Egbunike finished 7th, his compatriot Sunday Uti actually finished in front of him at 6th. Together though, they helped Nigeria win the Bronze medal in the relays a few days later.

We caught up with Sunday Uti at Stratford, South-East London as he is now part of the Nigerian contingent as “Athlete’s Manager”. He is currently impressed by the current decision of the Nigerian Federation for asking people like him, Falilat Ogunkoya and Innocent Egbunike – who is the athletics coach – to get involved with the sport “it is a great thing that we are getting most of us involved now” he says to supersport.com with his conspicuous American twang. “It is a small step I know but great things start like that. We have to get back to where we were when I was running”

It has been said that after the ’96 Atlanta Games, the US track and field officials admitted that Nigeria was the country they expected to provide the sternest challenge to Uncle Sam. Uti agrees “oh most definitely!” he says emphatically with a glint in his eyes. “Everyone reckoned with Nigeria, they expected us to explode and begin to affect how medals were shared in the sprints and middle distance races”.

So where did it all go wrong? “we missed it along the way. We did not know or refused to take up the mantle and breed younger athletes that will be challenged to keep up what was going on”. However, in an almost evangelical preacher’s voice he goes on “but things are changing. I can feel it. We have so much talent emerging; talent that I have seen that make me believe that those great days will be back” “That’s why most of us are back cos we believe in Nigeria”
He readily admits that there have been failures and flaws in the system in the past, but the man says that he will never trade all the times he competed in the green-white-green colours of Nigeria for anything else in the sport.

Nigerians all over the world and especially those who are involved in sports will surely wish that this St Finbaar’s College Akoka, Lagos and Iowa State University graduate is allowed to be involved more in fashioning out a new wave dedicated athletes for the country. He has walked the walk (including a Gold medal at the 1983 World Student Games) and so his talk will make a lot of difference in the minds and hearts of emerging talents.