I LOST MY MALE CHILD BECAUSE OF POWER LIFTING,YAKUBU ADAESOKAN PARALYMPICS GOLD MEDALIST AND WORLD RECORD HOLDER

I LOST MY MALE CHILD BECAUSE OF POWER LIFTING,YAKUBU ADAESOKAN PARALYMPICS GOLD MEDALIST AND WORLD RECORD HOLDER

By Ayo Ademokoya

World and Paralympic’s record holder in power lifting, Yakubu Adesokan has revealed that patriotism and not money or remuneration has been the secret behind his success.

Speaking to Daily Sunsport recently, on his journey to stardom, the Ibadan born Paralympics gold medalist who broke and set a new world record by lifting 175kilogramm at the London 2012 Paralympics reveal the good, the bad and the ugly part of his life. He further said that despite not been hosted by the Oyo state government, yet he consider it a great privilege to be part of the Oyo State contingent presently at the National Sports Festival (Eko 2012), assuring his teeming fans that he is ready to do the state proud, win medals in order to prove that patriotism to one’s state and country should be uppermost in the mind of every athlete and not the financial gain.

Speaking about his life, the 35 year old Nigerian power lifting living legend popularly called ‘Agbarapo’ said, growing up as a physically challenged person is really challenging but today he has all cost to glorify God for his mercy.

“ Ayangbe Aja dun, ki la ma je ki Aja to jina’ as he began in Yoruba popular adage which means roasted dogmeat is truly delicious but what can we eat before it is thoroughly roasted.

“I was born 35 years ago; my father was a brick layer while my mother sold solid pap (Eko) for thirteen of us children to survive. Our house was at Odinjo Academy near Late Chief Lekan Salami’s house and going to and from school is often a challenge. I attended Idi- oro Academy primary school and had to drop out when I was in primary 5 because of the death of my father. Who  was married to 3 women and had 13 children.

“My mother was the second wife and had seven children for my father, so catering for four boys and three girls of hers out of the 13 children from other wives is another great challenge. Life became pretty tough for my mother and I had to learn to cater for myself early as I realize that my mother cannot send me to school from the stipends she makes form selling “Eko”

“I decided to become a cobbler and this interview can never contain all what I experience struggling to become self reliant. I never love to beg, I believe giving is more blessed than to receive, that has been my message to my fellow disable. I often wonder what people can give me while begging in other to sustain myself. I believe in hard work so I treks each day from my house at Idi -Oro to where I served as an apprentice ‘shoe maker’ every day  for more than an hour, for years, It was tough but I was determined to be a professional cobbler. I am happy to tell you that my mother is still alive today to see me become great in life and she is very much hale and hearty to reap from the fruits of her labour.

  
About his marital life, Yakubu spoke at length about the challenges he faced before the family of the love of his life, Saadat Iyabode, accept him as a son in - law, since their daughter is an able bodied person, it is difficult for them to comprehend the reason their daughter could be that adamant in marrying a disable. “Can’t she wait to find an able bodied person?

“Many don’t believe that I got married about 18years ago to a very beautiful able bodied woman, my first child is actually 17 years ago while I have two more aged 4 and 2.  She has been very supportive and a great pillar behind my success, we didn’t get married without a very strong resistance from my wife’s family. Saadat Iyabode was very determining to marry me against all odds. She is an able bodied woman and her family was against it but she went against their wish insisting that I am her husband ordained by the almighty Allah, disable or not she was ready to go ahead and elope with me. True to her word, we got married and she stood by me through thick and thin, today she is enjoying the fruits of her labour. My first daughter, Barakat is 17years old while Sufiyat is 4 and Fawaz a boy is 2years

Yakubu, further shared his experience on his incursion into sports and power lifting, the sport that brought him to limelight which he described as an act of God

“My journey into the world of sport is more of a coincidence. I was as a football fanatics and a staunch supporter of Shooting Stars. I do everything to make sure that I watch the team play and would follow others to come to stadium trekking any day 3SC in playing.

“As usual, I came to Lekan Salami stadium, to watch Shooting Stars play against Rangers International of Enugu, on this blessed Saturday afternoon, the match ended in a 2-2 draw. That match was very crucial to the survival of Shooting Star who needs at least a draw to staying the premier League. Therefore we were very grateful to Rangers for playing that draw with us here...

“I suddenly noticed some disable playing table tennis at one room in the building, I moved closer to them and asked “What are you people doing over there?

“We are preparing for the National Sport festival coming up in Abuja in about three weeks time” one of them replied

“You mean there is avenue for disable persons to engage in sports? By the way I am very good at playing Table Tennis too.

“Come and join us if you are that good.” They beckoned

I went over and collected the bat from one of them, later he demanded I return it immediately from and urged me to buy mine.

“How much is the bat?”, I asked

“9,000 naira” he replied

I was discouraged; I could hardly feed myself from my cobbling job not to talk of buying a 9,000 naira worth of a Table Tennis bat.

One of them saw my countenance and said “ Kilode te kuku lo join awon to ngbe weight ?, eyin te lapa bayi meaning “why can’t you go and join the power lifters ?, you seem to have the  muscles”

“Yes, I could give try after I keep my body fit through power lifting at home,” I said to him

The next morning I managed to trek from my house at Academy to Lekan Salami stadium, I approached the head coach, Taofeek Aransi who gave me a chance to try my luck. I went straight and lifted 80kg, the man was shocked, and exclaimed. “A-GB-A-R-A-P-O! Agbara eleyi ma poju ke” meaning, “Too much power. This guy is really full of strength” and the nickname “Agbarapo” stuck till date.

I was allowed to join the State contingent to Abuja 2004, as an observer and few days before the tournament I was already lifting 95kg.

 “My breakthrough came in 2006, Gateway games, It was an open tournament where elite athletes were allowed to compete in the Games.  I defeated them all to win the gold medal in my category. Governor Adebayo Alao Akala later gave each gold medalist the sum of 250,000 naira at that time and my life began to change for the better. Later in the year, I was invited to the national camp in preparation for the All African games hosted in Algiers, in Algeria. Unfortunately games meant for disables were canceled and we were decamped.

“Then my failed journey to 2008 Beijing Paralympics began, I actually did well in the qualifiers, but was asked to step aside for the eventual gold winner at that year’s Paralympics. I led that guy by about 5 kg at the qualifiers because his maximum lift was 169kg and I mine was 175kg which I lift with much ease. our officials thought otherwise, claiming that  I’m not ripe enough for international tournament like the Paralympics and that he is more experienced, more so, they claimed I  do not posses and IDC, whatever that was I don’t know but the guy went and made Nigeria proud by winning the gold medal. If I had gone to Beijing Paralympics, Nigeria would have set the record I later set in 2012!

 “So in 2009 at Kaduna Sports festival (KADA) was where I broke my senior colleague’s record of 169kg set at the Beijing Paralympics in China 2008 by lifting 170kg,  nobody rated it or pay attention to it.  The Paralympics and the world record stood at 169kg till I went for the commonwealth games held in India in 2010, But thing began to get better for me at the preparation towards the.

“En -route India, there was a qualifier at Dubai where I broke the world record, set another one and then broke it to set another one. I lifted 170 at the first attempt, 172kg at the second attempt and 177 at the third attempt.

“The noise was so much that countries like Germany, Russia, South Africa, and most especially Jamaica to mention but few of the countries which approached me to naturalise and represent their country, one thing held me back, that was patriotism. Besides, I was made to understand that if I naturalise, there is an existing law that won’t allow me compete immediately for my adopted country at the London 2012 paralympics. I was told there are so many papers to be signed and released by the Federal Government of Nigeria which might not be easy etc. I must confess that those packages from those countries were too good to resist and our officials at New Delhi noticed that some agents had  been  confusing me, so they monitored my movement,  limited my friendship and  interaction with other countries  and ensure I comply with the strict rules of informing the authorities about my activities.

“When we came back from India, Prophet T.B Joshua hosted some of us that did Nigeria proud; He donated a Toyota Camry car which I use till date and some cash donations. I am using this opportunity to thank him for his kind gesture and for making me have more faith in Nigeria.

“The point is Nigeria need to appreciate those who are physically challenged the more; I must tell you that the way physically challenged people are treated in Europe, Asia and America even just over there in South Africa is very different from what we experience here. Over there, a lot of packages are in place for the disables which are very attractive; the way they relate with us etc is very unique...

‘Agbarapo’, however took time to share his happiest moment and the saddest moment with the daily Sun Sport,

“The saddest day in my life was how I lost my first male child while preparing for the gateway games in 2009. My boy has been sick prior to that games and no help was forthcoming from any quarters to treat the high fever which resulted into measles. I begged around for money to be able to take him to the hospital for proper medical attention but no one could help me.  I told my wife I had to report at the State camp for the preparation of the Gateway games, but refused to disclose to her that the camp would last for 3 days. If my wife is not the type which understands the motive behind my action, that could have set my home ablaze, because it was as if I abandoned them both to be able to represent my Oyo State at the National Sports Festival to  struggle all alone with the sick child, by the time I came back, the boy was weak and he died. It was painful.

“The second time I was really sad was before the Commonwealth games in India where I suddenly had a crack in my shoulder prior to the game. It was a mystery and the injury was not as a result of anything in fact no one could diagnose the cause yet it could have caused me my first international exposure, for the first time my wife advised me to stay away from the sport and quit power lifting because of the intensity of the pain I went through. I was sad.  There was no money to treat myself and I had to represent my country.  I resulted into fervent praying went to the tournament with the injury where I set a new World record against all odd. The mystery about the injury was that after the tournament, the injury healed by itself!.

 “My happiest day would always be the day I had my first child, it was a day of joy for me to realize that despite my condition I could still procreate, and my joy knew no bound carrying the baby.  Gateway 2006 Sports festival where I actually won gold medal, setting a new world record at Commonwealth games in India and of course my most recent feat at the London 2012 Paralympics would always remain very happy moment in my life

Reflecting on his performance and great exploit at the London 2012 paralympics, ‘Agbarapo’ said he has the confidence that he would do well before the game saying that his inner mind kept on assuring him that he is out this time around for something really great.

“Before the London 2012, I think we had a training tour in South Korea and had a 3day stopover in Qatar. There was this particular day I suddenly lifted 195kg, I was shocked! I said to myself,

“If the world record stands at 170kg and incidentally lifted 195kg then something great is about to happen as I knew no one would be able to stand me as far as my category in concerned in power lifting. I prayed to God to grant favour before Him the Almighty and all men especially the referee so that none of my lift would be disqualify. Or what is the essence of referees claiming that your lifts are error prone, what can you do? I thank god he answers my prayers “To be honest with you I felt really jittery when I first came out to face the crowd. I have never seen such a crowd in any competition I attended in the past, they were all white and I was a bit jittery. Olympics  or Paralympics is a different ball game entirely for any athlete and I had to  so I had to psyche up myself that  that these people are humans too and today  they shall see the stuff am made up of.

“ London Paralympics then turned out to be a child play compare to most competition I have been to because I was well trained for the tournament and each day at the camp I could lift 180kg at least five times in a row. I did not even know that I had done anything special until people started congratulating me that I had broken and set both the world and Paralympics record, despite the fact that I haven’t used up all the power left in me, to be candid, I can do better than that, the whole world should just wait till 2014 God willing.”

In his advice to upcoming athlete, Yakubu implore them to be patient as God’s time is the best he further extend invitation to those disable who are on the street begging to emulate his action and join sport as no matter of begging can make them realize their dream or their potentials

 “Since 2006 have been approached by several state to come and be part of their team, their packages could truly be better than what Oyo state is offering but I am here to say that I am proud of  Oyo State and ready to uplift its’ image by winning more laurels for them now and in the future.

“Though it is worrisome that Oyo state is yet to do anything for me concerning my exploit at the London 2012 Paralympics, I believe the Governor and the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports are working hard towards ensuring that honour is given to whom it is due. I lost my first male child while preparing with the state for the 2006 Gateway games, in Abeokuta, had a mysterious shoulder injury after Kaduna 2009 Sports festival yet God saw my patriotism and compensated me.

“look at Imo state government, I learnt on good authority that ‘Loveline’ (  a fellow gold medalist at the London Paralympics) was given 2milion naira ,a car, and a landed property by Governor Rochas Okorocha but I know my Governor, His Excellency, Senator Abiola Ajimobi would still organize something more befitting for me after the festival.

“It is true the Federal Government Gave us 5million naira for our efforts and I thank  president Goodluck Jonathan for the kind gesture but, a lot of problems is very much associated with it.

“Formerly, I thought millions are that really big until I began to suffer the problems peculiar to ‘millionaires’. Everyone believes they must eat out of the largess, what can I say,  is it about the pressure from my immediate and extended family who believe am now very rich or well wishers who wanted one favour or the other ?. Can I really talk about area boys who believed that ‘Owo aye  l’owo Sport’ meaning money from sport is meant for all ?.

“Many have forgotten that we don’t really have grants for our trainings programmes, yet I have to maintain my fitness from this money as well as take care of my wife and children, knowing full well that we don’t always have competitions.

“Someone from South Africa told me that if I were to be one of their athlete, I would have received a thousand percent greater than what Nigeria Government gave us  as gold medalist and  wondered how 
I was able to make it to the final , yet I can never treat my country the way other athlete did by dumping the state or the nation who discover them gave them the platform to showcase their God given talents after all.

“Pressure has always come from other countries for me to naturalise since 2010 when I went to New Delhi, Indian for the Commonwealth games. They all swap around me like bees after I broke the world record and set another one but I declined because I love Nigeria.