rippled by Polio at the age of five, multi-talented para-athlete, Remi Basanya, never gave up despite the challenges she faced. In this interview, she tells IDRIS ADESINA about life as a physically-challenged sportswoman, her venture into sports and more
You helped Delta State win the 2015 Victor Ochei Wheelchair Basketball Championship, emerging as the event’s MVP in the process. How do you feel with your achievements?
There is nothing as exciting and fulfilling as seeing yourself win a competition you have prepared for seriously for many months. I feel very happy and I thank God that we were able to win the competition despite the challenges we faced during training. Being the MVP was an icing on the cake because I never expected to be named as such. My target was to help the team do well at the competition – which we achieved by winning it.
Now that you have the gold medal, what is your next target?
My next target is to play at the next Paralympics before I retire. It is a thing of joy to be a Paralympian. The members of the Paralympic team to London 2012 can never be forgotten in the history of Nigeria so I aim to be at the Paralympics and fly the flag of Nigeria proudly. Although wheelchair basketball is not an individual sport, I believe with the zeal of every player in the team, this dream can be achieved. We didn’t make it this time; we can always try another time.
When do you hope to retire from sports?
I will continue playing for as long as my health and skills permit. I have not set a retirement age for myself. I have a dream I am pursuing and I hope to achieve it before I retire.
The wheelchair basketball teams failed to get the ticket to next year’s Paralympic Games in Brazil at the qualifiers in Algeria. As a member of the women’s team, what happened there?
We went to Algeria and did our best to get the ticket but it was not enough. Nigeria have never qualified for wheelchair basketball at the Paralympics but we believed with the support we received before the qualifiers that we could go to Algeria and do well. But it was tougher than we thought because we played against some of the best teams in Africa. I believe that we did not disappoint Nigerians there because that was our first international outing in a long while and there is always another time; we can qualify for the next edition of the Paralympics after Rio 2016.
When and how did you get into wheelchair basketball?
I began playing wheelchair basketball some six or seven years ago. It is not only wheelchair basketball that I play; I do some other wheelchair sports too. A friend advised me to take up sports after things were getting difficult for me around 2007/2008. She told me that I could make a living through sports and become popular. I could not do much because of my condition and I hated to be dependent on people for my living. Life as a person with disability is quite difficult in Nigeria except you have well-to-do people around you that can help lighten the burden.
What other sport do you do apart from wheelchair basketball?
I play wheelchair tennis and also wheelchair table tennis. I am better and more active in wheelchair tennis than table tennis. I am one of the top ranked wheelchair tennis players in Nigeria. I have won a couple of titles in wheelchair tennis – including the 2014 Central Bank of Nigeria Tennis Open. Anyone that is available of the three, I play but I prefer wheelchair basketball and tennis to table tennis.
How lucrative has sports been for you?
It has not been that lucrative but I am grateful for what I have. It is really better than when I was not here. I am employed by Delta State as a player and I get some monthly income from there. I can take care of basic things with that, so I believe it is a bit okay for me. But if it can become bigger than this, I will welcome it.
Do you have any other means of sustenance apart from sports?
No, I don’t have. It is sports alone that I do and I am dedicated to sports. Although I have tried a few other things, I discovered that sports needed my total attention. That is why I am doing only sports.
How has the journey been since you got into sports?
The journey has been very rough. To get the equipment needed for training is quite hard. I started sports with the normal wheelchair before I could afford the specialised sports chairs. But in every situation I find myself, I have learnt to thank God. The beginning was rough but I can now say that I am reaping a little from the efforts I have made when I started. It is not yet very rosy for us but we are not what we used to be when we were not into sports.
How did you come about your disability?
I was born normally but I became disabled at the age of five when I had poliomyelitis. It was not easy because it really affected my parents and they were not happy with my state. There was nothing they could do since they have been told that my two legs were gone and I wouldn’t be able to use them again. Growing up wasn’t easy since then.
Have you at any point in time felt bad about your disability?
The only time I regret being physically-challenged is when I am broke. Brooding and thinking is a normal human phenomenon. When I am broke, I think of a lot of things and part of them is that I wish I am physically okay. But when I am not broke, I hardly see myself as being physically-challenged. This is because I do what the able people do too. I go where they go and I can buy what they buy.
What are the challenges facing people with disabilities in Nigeria?
There are many challenges we face but it varies from one form of disability to the other. Generally, people with disabilities face discriminations from people who are physically okay. Some others crave independence but cannot get it because they don’t have a means of employment. The discrimination comes in many forms but it is the major challenge suffered by us. People should change their orientation and see physically-challenged people as a part of the society and help them when their help is needed.
What of the challenges you face in sports?
As physically-challenged sportsmen and women, our major challenge is inadequate competitions. Sports is supposed to be an escape route for us from the suffering which the others are going through but when competitions are hard to come by, the purpose of coming into sports is defeated. At times, one may feel discouraged by the challenges but with patience and perseverance, we are coping. More competitions will not only give us money, it will sharpen our skills and aid us in bringing glory to the country.
What are your greatest regret and your achievement?
My greatest regret so far is my inability to complete my education because of my disability. I had to stop schooling after I wrote the Senior School Certificate Examination. But I am working on how to get back to school. For my achievement, I cannot really pinpoint one as the greatest because I have achieved a lot since I began sports but winning this year’s MVP of the Victor Ochei Wheelchair Basketball Championship is one of them. To say the truth, that competition has really helped wheelchair basketball players.
What are your targets as a wheelchair basketball player?
I still hope and wish to play professional basketball abroad before I retire. I see myself being active for some more years and I believe I have the talent to play for a foreign club. When we went to Germany this year for an invitational tournament, we had a few scouts coming to look at us but we have yet to get any offers. Also, if we can get a wheelchair basketball league here, it can help achieve the dream of playing professionally.
Are you married?
I am a single mother with three kids and they are all physically fit.
Will you allow your kids to do sports?
Yes, if they wish to. Sports may not be that lucrative yet in Nigeria but when it is combined with education, you can always have something to fall back upon when one of them fails.
What is your advice for the up-and-coming physically challenged sports men and women?
They should be patient as patience eventually pays off. They should not allow themselves to be discouraged by anybody or anything that they encounter on the way to success. Perseverance and patience will lead them to success too. They will get insulted but they should not allow it to stop them. They should also go to school because education and sports go together.
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