From taking part in inter-house sport competitions at Awori Ayoromi Grammar School 2, Agboju Amuwo to representing her school in invitational relay races and thereafter to competitions sponsored by 7Up Bottling Company in the 1980's, Tina Iheagwam knew too well, the path she wanted to tread quite early in life. Blessed with a good games master, who procured some of the initial kits she competed with, 'Antelope legs' as her principal elected to nickname her, grew from strength to strength on the tracks. It was not long before she galloped into international limelight by winning a gold medal in the 100m event at the maiden World Junior Championships in Athens, Greece in 1986. Now a Physical Trainer at Fitness Options, the former 100m African champion and All Africa Games gold medallist, in this interview with ENO-ABASI SUNDAY, recounts her experiences as well as expressed deep pains that Nigeria, an erstwhile super power in sprints, is today a shadow of her former self. Iheagwam, who holds a coaching certificate from the Nigeria Institute for Sports (NIS), Lagos, also lamented the lack of recognition accorded many ex-internationals, who served the country meritoriously. While proffering solutions on how to get back to the top, the former track queen, who trained as a Para-Legal Secretary at Las Pama College, United States, stressed that sports can be used as a tool for economic empowerment of the Nigerian youth.SLIM built, she stands over 5.1 feet from the ground. Her proportionate arms reach also compliment her lanky poise. And her long strides were not just a matter of aesthetics. With feline grace, Tina Iheagwam made good the blessings of her long strides on the tracks the way antelopesdash away from predators.It was not for fun that the then Principal of Awori Ayoromi Grammar School 2, Agboju Amuwo in the Ojo area of Lagos State, Mr Olawuyi nicknamed Tina Iheagwam 'Antelope legs'. As a man that had superintended over the educational development of thousands of Nigerian children, having earlier served as Principal of Igbobi College among other schools, he was one of those that foresaw the heights those legs would take Iheagwam to, hence the nickname he gave to the girl. He was not disappointed as those pair of legs, in the seed of time, contributed immensely in not only bringing honour to the school on the athletics plane, but also to Lagos State, defunct Bendel State and ultimately Nigeria.Not only did Iheagwam go on to win a gold medal at the maiden World Junior Championships in Greece, Athens in 1986, she followed that up with a bronze medal in 100m race at the World University Games (Universiade) in the then Czechoslovakia in 1987. At the 1st IAAF World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, US, she ran a time of 7.62secs to finish 7th in 60m. In 1989, she won a silver medal at the 1989 African Championships. Another year after that, specifically in 1991, she grabbed a gold medal in 200m at the All Africa Games in Cairo, Egypt.Unlike other female athletes, who had a Herculean task convincing their parents that participating in sports would not in any way derail their academic pursuits, Iheagwam enjoyed the full support of her father. In fact, it was her older brother, then a student of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos that was the spoilsport as he stood between her and her dreams.Hear her, 'When I started taking sprinting serious in my secondary school, my father said I should be left alone to do my sports, but my older brother did not buy the idea and would threaten to beat me up when I come back from the stadium. When that happens, my father would always say, 'leave her alone since she has chosen her path to follow'. However, my secondary school games master, Mr Osawa, was very instrumental to the development of my career as he was the one that bought me all my training kits. What changed everything in my favour was when they started hearing my name as an emerging sprinter. By the time I started representing Lagos State and my name was heard on radio and television sets and read in the papers, everybody became happy.'For some strange reasons, when Iheagwam started showing promise on the tracks in her Local Authority Primary School, Osho Drive, Olodi Apapa, the games master there was not as encouraging as he ought to be, but little Iheagwam took it in her stride and laid low. But on getting to her secondary school, she was further assailed by the elements at what point she made herself available.'I was made the Games Prefect of Awori Ayoromi Grammar School 2, Agboju Amuwo, when I was only in Form Two. This was at a time when school sports was given its pride of place with inter-house sports competitions being as competitive as they ought to be. Within that period, when we went out for invitational relays and my school would always tower above others especially in the relay races, where I ran alongside Rita Odozor, Chineye and Josephine. Some of the schools we went to compete and won in those days were Festac High School, Festac Grammar School, Awori Ayoromi Grammar School 1, Amuwo Grammar School, Agboju, Ansar Udeen Grammar School, Isolo, Sinclair Grammar School, Kirikiri Secondary School among others', Iheagwam recalled.'I can recall how happy my principal, Mr Olawuyi, used to be anytime I or the school athletics team win races and bring back laurels to the school. He will bring us out in the assembly in the morning and congratulate us for our feat in front of the entire school. You can only imagine what I and the other athletes used to feel in those days.'With all sincerity, my tenure as a games prefect made my school very popular in sporting activities, more so when we were winning a number of races when invited to other schools' inter-house sports competitions. Because I was doing well, I was brought in to represent Lagos State at the National Sports Festivals in Kaduna, Kaduna State, in the mid 1980's where I won a silver and gold medals. I also represented the state at another national sports festival in Calabar, Cross River State. Because of my excellent performance in both outings, I was later employed by the Lagos State Sports Council.'Shortly after her last outing for Lagos State, Iheagwam was in 1985 employed by the then Bendel State Sports Council as a coach/athlete, and she said, 'Upon my employment by Bendel State, I went ahead to represent the state at another sports festival in Kwarra State. There, I competed in five events including 100m, 200m, relay race and the jumps. Because I did well, the then Governor Ambrose Ali promoted me to Grade Level 7, step 7. I was there till 1986 before leaving for the United States after bagging a scholarship through athletics to study Physical Education at Texas Southern University, Houston.It was still in 1986 that Iheagwam launched her career internationally by winning a gold medal in 100m at the first World Junior Championships in Greece. As a US-based athlete, she was invited to be part of the Nigerian contingent to the All Africa Games in Nairobi, Kenya, where she won the 100m dash and a bronze medal in 200m. She also won a bronze medal in 400m and in the 4x100 relay event; she teamed up with Falilat Okunkoya, Mary Onyali and Beatrice Utondu to win the race.Because Iheagwam started representing Nigeria in international athletics meet as a junior athlete, she definitely understands what it feels like to be thrust with such gargantuan task. This perhaps explains why she is always on hand to urge present day athletes to do their best not only to achieve personal glory, but also to project the image of the country the way she did back in the day.For instance, just before the country's contingent departed for the last All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique, she was one of those that praised the track and field athletes and insisted that they had the capability to win medals. She urged the athletes to do the country proud by winning medals in their respective events.On their return to the country, the former junior world champion was also on hand to pour encomiums on the athletes saying, 'Our athletes deserve commendation for their efforts because of the poor preparation for the games. They gave a good account of themselves. Sports administrators should not be given this glory, because it belongs to the athletes.'Iheagwam was particularly delighted with the performance of the Nigerian trio of Oludamola Osayomi, Blessing Okagbare and Gloria Asumnu, who won the gold, silver and bronze medals in the 100m event of the All Africa Games 2010.This feat was the fourth time Nigerian women sprinters would be making a clean sweep of all the medals on offer at the event.The trio of Iheagwam, Falilat Ogunkoya and Mary Onyali first did it in Nairobi, Kenya in 1987 at the fourth edition of the Games. Onyali, Beatrice Utondu and Rufinah Uba made it a back-to-back performance in 1991 in Cairo, Egypt at the fifth edition of the Games, while Onyali again led the duo of Christy Opara-Thompson and Mary Tombiri to make it a third consecutive hat-trick at the sixth edition in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1995.For Iheagwam, the glory due athletes should not, for any reason, be given to officials because at the end of the day, the glory is the only thing the athlete goes home with after denying his or herself some pleasure in preference for hard work. 'As a person, I motivated myself to keep on competing by making running a thing I enjoy. Running was fun for me so I took it as hobby and it became part of me. Because of this, I was not looking at the money that would come to me from the government.'Besides, what used to come to athletes in terms of money was nothing compared to what is happening now. The only way athletes in those days made their money was going to Europe to run. But when the athletes were invited by the country to come over in preparation for major sporting events, all we got was summer allowance. Even though I am still elated at the fame that running brought to me, I am not happy with the lack of recognition that ex-internationals are accorded in this country. Getting ex-internationals as chaperons to the current athletes during international outings, honouring them with awards and recognitions for services rendered to fatherland are all ways of saying ''Thank you for what you did the country. This is not asking for too much.'Against the backdrop of Nigeria's lost glory in track and field, the former African champion said a lot of attention must be paid talent discovery at school level. Strict and consistent training regimen is also necessary at this level if success must be achieved.Only recently, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), in its 2011 review listed Nigeria as one of the countries that has lost her sprint tradition, a development that has saddened the country's sporting fraternity.Iheagwam is equally pained by this sad turn of events. According to her, 'In athletics, we are supposed to be competing with the United States and not even Jamaica, which is another strong nation in world athletics now. Years back, when you talk of sprint, Nigeria was neck-to-neck with the United States. In fact, at some point, US athletes used to have a lot of respect for Nigeria. Now that is no more because we no longer pose any threat on the tracks.'In those days, they were not afraid of us for nothing. They knew we had the talents that could match them. We also used to plan and prepare our athletes elaborately for competitions. This ugly turn of event makes me feel really bad because we are messing with the opportunity of using sports to economically empower young Nigerians. We are all familiar with Usain Bolt's family and how excellence in athletics has brought financial succour and global recognition to them.'During our days, we were very focused on our training more than anything else. We were not ready to bring our family or country's name down because of our failure to prepare well. But now, I dare say that this kind of attitude is lacking among our athletes. Apart from Oludamola Osayomi and Blessing Okagbare, I don't seem to see other athletes that have the type of spirit athletes of our time had.'Also, part of the reasons why our athletes are not doing well at international competitions is because the right coaches that ought to be invited to camps are not invited, while those, who cannot be described as qualified coaches, but have friends and relatives in high places are brought in to preside over activities.'Secondly, as a country, we no longer take camping ahead of major competitions or championships as a serious exercise any longer. Tell me, why would athletes preparing for a big event like the Olympic Games not be in camp by now' Other countries that are going to the Olympics, the greatest sporting event on earth are in camp, but my country is yet to begin any serious preparation or competition that will boost the form of these athletes. I hear some athletes started light training towards the end of last year, but there should be competitions for them to test their skills. It was never like this in our days and so I can say that what is happening now will do nobody any good. Except we start preparing right now, we will never make a positive impact out there at the Olympic Games. It is simple enough for our administrators to know that you can't start preparations only weeks to the Games to go and outshine those that have been preparing for over a year.On how Nigerian athletes can rediscover themselves, she says respect for constituted authority is germane. 'I am saying this because some of these athletes based abroad look down at coaches that are based in the country when they are invited to come and represent the country. They lack respect for the coaches and are always feeling that nobody should tell them what to do. Personally, I think the worst harm that an athlete can inflict on his/herself is to believe that he/she has learnt enough and there is point listening to his/her national coach. No matter how talented you are as an athlete, there is something inside you that the coach must bring out for you to fly. Until that is done, you may not really hit the top. So in summary, I can say, athletic authorities should rely only on seasoned and experienced coaches to train athletes, go back to the days of rigorous and lengthy preparations and camping ahead of international competitions, aggressively embark on developmental programmes at the grassroots level and funding of the training programmes of elite athletes. For the elite athletes, absolute obedience and respect to their coaches is imperative if they must excel in their chosen career.Iheagwam did not complete her course of study at Houston Texas as she moved to California. There, she pitched tent with Mount Anthonio College, where she studied Physical Education before proceeding to Las Pama College to be trained as a Para Legal Secretary.
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