If you don’t want muscles, QUIT
By EMMA NJOKU
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Chioma Ajunwa
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Female athletes who are scared of growing muscles or losing their feminine looks, have been told to forget about achieving any success in their sporting career.
‘Golden Girl’, Chioma Ajunwa, who stated this in an exclusive chat with Saturday Sunsport, said muscles are necessary for athletes to succeed, adding that success in every human endeavour comes with sacrifices.
The Atlanta ’96 gold medallist, who disclosed that sheer commitment and discipline were the secrets of her success during her active days in sports, regretted that present athletes were not prepared to make sacrifices, hence, their inability to succeed.
“It sounds funny when I listen to some female athletes saying that they don’t want muscles on their body,” Ajunwa began.
"If you are training and you don’t want muscles, you are not going to make it. Without those muscles, you cannot run fast if you are a sprinter for instance.
“If you want to succeed in any field of human endeavour, you should be prepared to give something as a sacrifice. You must make some sacrifices for you to be able to gain something. I think that is the area some of our athletes are not getting it right. They must have to forget about enjoyment for now if they hope to succeed. Here I am today, I did not lose anything at the end of the day,” the multi-talented athlete said.
Ajunwa, who regretted that the system in the county does not encourage athletes to actualise their full potentials, revealed: "The secret of my success was sheer commitment. The most important thing in life is for one to know what he or she wants in life. The moment you know what you want, then you know how to go for it and how to strategise. Unfortunately, today’s athletes prefer to wait for people to do everything for them. In our days, it was not like that. I never waited for anybody to do something for me.
“I used to train on my own day and night ahead of competitions, because I knew for me to excel, I had to be committed, focussed and disciplined.”
Commonwealth Games in Melbourne
The Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) has foreseen another dismal outing for Nigerian contingent to the Commonwealth Games coming up in Melbourne, Australia in March.
Apart from the recurring problem of poor preparation that has remained Nigeria’s bane at international sports meets, Ajunwa has also faulted the timing of the Games.
“The Commonwealth Games is around the corner, but from all indications, we don’t seem to be preparing well enough for the Games,” she regretted.
"We have always had this problem of preparations. Every year, our people keep on delaying preparations ahead of international competitions. By now, the athletes should be in camp and well taken care of to motivate them to give their best. But the reverse is the case.
"It’s the same old song, so what do we do? We have to use what we have to get what we want.
"Basically, I do not expect much from the Nigerian athletes at the Commonwealth Games, because in the first instance, the timing of the Commonwealth Games is odd. The month of March is not the best for athletes.
"Anybody familiar with athletics would agree with me that March is not the best time for competition in athletics. Athletes are hardly in top shape by the month of March.
"Moreover, I don’t know why those in charge of our sports administration should decamp the athletes for the Christmas and New Year celebrations when they know we have an important competition such as the Commonwealth Games coming up soon after.
So, I am not expecting much from the athletes at the Games. But if they are able to win medals at the Games, we will thank God."