Oyo Athletes Collapse At Gidi Sports Festival

                            

The various problems bedeviling the 18th edition of the National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012, holding in Lagos State, may not all be attributed to Lagos alone, as Oyo State yesterday added its own share of drama when two of its boxers collapsed after their bouts.

Thanks to the prompt attention from the medical operatives, they were revived. 

Oyo State female boxer in the 81kg class, Rasheedat Ganiyu who narrowly lost her fight to Benue's Amusa Aminat slumped and was rushed to the Sports Medicine Centre where she was revived.

Oyo State government however was quick to respond to the issue: The state's secretary of the Boxing Association, Oyekola B.O. termed it a psychological problem, which he said was brought about by the lady's disappointment at losing the bout which also meant losing all the goodies the governor of Oyo State promised all medalists.

His words, "I will call it psychological problem. She was not ready for the fight before she was called suddenly by the organizers to come and fight. She along with other Oyo representatives at the ongoing National Sports Festival have been promised so many nice things including award and job opportunity as contract staff among others if they get to the medal’s zone and for her to lose the fight the manner she did might have weighed her down. She had set her mind on getting to the semi-final and all these might have contributed.

Really?!. . . REALLY?!!! The Oyo State government must really think little of its representatives at the games, for it to give strange, and quite frankly, 'childish' excuses.

But the Doctor Irokan, the Head of Sports Medicine, Lagos gave us a better well informed explanation for Rasheedat's collapse, "Well the immediate impression is that maybe her glucose ran out during the course of the fight. When one’s sugar level runs down one can collapse. It is also same when the sugar level is too high. In her case because she has just finished a fight, it is normal to suggest that her glucose level might have been used up."

Thanks Doc. You nailed it.

Now barely a few minutes later, another Oyo State boxer, Babatunde Yusuf, in the male 91kg class collapsed at the medicine centre following a fit of coughing and complaint of knee pains (which disqualified him from his round two fight against Adejo Fred of Abia State).

What excuse will the Oyo State government give for his case now?

While the Oyo State government is busy embarrassing themselves with ridiculous reasons for their athletes' poor physical strength, readiness and preparedness for the games, the two athletes involved are responding to treatment and undergoing examination checks.