SOUNDS REALLY UGLY, PJ, WHAT’S THE TRUTH BEHIND THIS SHOCKING STORY?
Algiers 2007: Fasuba Escapes Lynching
By Duro Ikhazuagbe, 03.12.2007
Olusoji Fasuba, Nigeria’s brightest prospect for gold medal in the 100m event of the 9th All Africa Games scheduled for Algeria this summer, yesterday narrowly escaped body injuries that could have ended that dream.
The Commonwealth Games silver medallist whose new 9.85secs time over 100m ended Frankie Fredricks’ 10-year old African sprint record late last year, was almost turned into a punching bag by one burly body builder at the gym of the National Stadium in Lagos.
Trouble started when Fasuba, who arrived the country two weeks ago went into the gym to work-out but one of the many body builders who have monopolised the place insisted that the athlete “had no right to come into their arena.”
“The body builder who is called Alex and is said to be a policeman attached to Area ‘C’ Police Command in Surulere just kicked Fasuba in the stomach and almost crushed his legs with an iron rod before he was held back by his colleagues who admitted that the sprinter actually sought their permission to use the facilities," narrated one of the stadium staff who witnessed the fracas.
Fasuba’s SOS call to Sunday Bada, the technical/performance director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) who incidentally is a serving police superintendent prompted the muscle flexing macho-men to scamper from the vicinity of the Sportscity.
Speaking with THISDAYSports shortly after the incident, Bada insisted that it was the most unfortunate thing to happen to an African sprint record holder in a place where he is supposed to be revered.
“I wonder how we have degenerated to the point that miscreants and other fellows with questionable characters now decide who trains at federal government owned facilities,” rued the former quarter-miler.
The AFN chief who is planning alternative private gym for Fasuba to continue his training before returning to his base in Greece, however, promised to take up the assault matter with his colleagues at the Area ‘C’ Command and see that justice is done accordingly.
Meanwhile, Abel Akhigbe an athletics coach with the NITEL Athletics Club has been reported dead.
The Edo-born coach was feared to have died from food poisoning as he was seen hale and hearty just two days back at the Sportscity in Lagos.
Most athletes and athletics writers who heard of his death yesterday expressed shock at the development.