PARA-SPORTS PAVILION AND POWER-LIFTING COLUMN: ARENA FOR THE PERSONS-WITH-DISABILITIES (PWDs)

 

Let me start on this note:

Welcome on Board the Power-lifting column of the PARA-Sports Pavilion, of or Platform, the

Done with my very brief pleasantry, let me say: this column is disability oriented. It is a purpose driven vehicle for the Persons-With-Disabilities (PWDs). It is centered on pushing the collective interests and aspirations of the PWDs. Briefly speaking; it is a platform for voicing the concerns, expectations and needs of the disability community. Put simply, it is an umbrella for showcasing the achievements, skills and endowments of the PWDs, especially in sports. Indeed we have achieved a lot, individually and collectively. As the driver of the PARA-Sports Pavilion, and the Power-lifting Column presently, I commit to ensuring equitable representation of all interests that define the disability community.

Efforts will be made to cover the entire country, in the area of PARA-Sports. In view of this Para-Sporting activities in each of the states and at the national level will be appropriately reported. Activities of the various PARA-Sports Federations and that of the State Associations will also be covered and efforts centered on giving each of them equal coverage: God giving me the strength. Truth is, I am willing, I am committed, but like every other human being on the planet earth I am limited one way or the other.

I will not shy away from restating the fact that the achievements of the PWDs are so many, but it is also essential to establish from the onset that the means of gathering the information relating to the achievements are equally many and diversified even. It is trite to note that gathering and presenting effective reportage of events as they unfold, and in some cases visiting the past, to create a link between where the PWDs started, where they are and where they are going are not easy. The ups and downs of the PWDs generally, and in particular those in sports, will surely make interesting reading to all of us as a community and to members of the public. There is nothing like telling your own story you know. This we shall do collectively. Without you there is no me. My greatest motivation, the source of my inspiration and the assurance that my stories will fly are all in you.

The core agenda, apart from the target to heat the objective of this column is to generate enough interest for the disability community. For this reason, sports related activities, those that project such and their followers will be effectively reported. The challenges that make it difficult for the PWDs to go into business, as well as brought the downfall of members of the PWDS community that ventured into sports and other businesses will be giving headline coverage, and easy routes and channels for achieving the agenda will be sorted out and structures raised for actualizing and sustaining results and machineries put in place for checking and correcting deviations.

Coach Puja Ayuba (with the Cup) 

Celebrating with his team members 

My doors are widely opened for contributions, genuine remarks and constructive criticisms, so long as they are targeted as achieving the noble goals of the Pavilion and the column. The need to follow up regularly on PARA-Sports development and those members doing the sports are to say the least overwhelming. Celebration of the retired: old and not too old, current and emerging sportsmen and women of the disability community will surely compete for space and attention. Frankly speaking, you and I as members of the disability community are leading a movement on this platform. Redefining ourselves, strengthening our individual and collective visions is vital for us to project our collective contributions to the Socio-economic development of the nation, and key in establishing our relevance as major stakeholders of the Nigerian state. In most cases these contributions are achieved from the position of abandoned people, since most of the time we are left to struggle against all odds to post the results. Cases abound where the achievements of the PWDs are hardly mentioned how much more celebrated widely by the so-called-able members of the society, who in the face of abundant resources, including excess infrastructure, and ease of access, when compared with what the PWDs have, yet complain bitterly.

Para-athletes at the 1st Plateau State 

Open athletics competition in Jos, in 2022

The default pin of the Pavilion and the column are permanently set on disability mode. There is no mincing word about this. If you like you can tag this column, PWDs segment of the Platform…

I will not sign off without saying categorically that PARA-Sports, which involve physical exertion of energy (exercise) like every other sports is good for the mind, body and spirit.

Esther Sunmak