Babatunji Wusu –
Cross Rivers State Governor Bassey Otu hosted a former Nigerian athlete, Etim Patrick ‘Ironbar’ Bassey, at the Government House on Tuesday, September 12, promising to launch thorough rehabilitation measures for the sportsmen.
Ironbar, who represented Nigeria in the men’s super-heavyweight weightlifting event at the 1984 Summer Olympics Games in Los Angeles, USA, was said to have been unable to realize his goal of being a Gold medallist owing to injuries.
Deyemi Saka, a public affairs analyst, congratulated Governor Otu on his decision to rehabilitate Etim, saying that Ironbar was brought to his attention months ago through a viral video.
“This is not a case of rehabilitation of a man who has squandered his goodwill and fortune; it is an account of a man unlucky, and neglected by those who should recognize his contributions to society and adequately compensate him,” Saka added. It’s a far cry from most stories we hear about athletes or sports personalities who have clearly squandered their money.
“Etim Patrick ‘Ironbar’ Bassey’s sole goal was to win a gold medal while competing for Nigeria in the men’s super-heavyweight weightlifting competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Prior to the accident, he had a very slim chance for Nigeria to win its first-ever gold medal in the Olympics. It is appropriate to say that Bassey was a gold medal contender because he had already won three gold medals at the African Weightlifting Championships in Port Saeed, Egypt in 1981, a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in weightlifting, and back-to-back gold medals at two National Sports Festivals. Expecting a medal, particularly a good medal, was in line with his development.
According to the records, Bassey experienced pain in one of his legs while participating for Nigeria at the Olympics. A subsequent medical check revealed that he had a thorn muscle, which effectively put an end to his Olympic journey. All of his aspirations were dashed at the age of 29, as the injury also rendered useless his American football scholarship to the University of Southern California.
He was abandoned after he suffered the injury while serving his country, despite the fact that he had invested more than $25,000 (twenty-five thousand dollars) of his own money in seeking medical attention. This has been a common practice among Nigeria’s sports officials over the years. After having a successful operation in America, he ran out of money, which marked the start of a depressing chapter in his life. He returned to Nigeria in 2004 following a second operation, multiple career changes, and a broken marriage.
“Etim Patrick Bassey was brought to our attention some months ago when a video of him engaging in voluntary road rehabilitation work along the Addo-Badore road went viral,” he added. He was given a financial present of 50,000 naira by the incident’s recorder, who urged Nigerians, the federal government, and the Cross Rivers State Government to help him (Bassey) by rehabilitating him because we care about humanity.
“It appears that the call was missed by Nigerians and both the Federal Government and the Cross Rivers State Government until yesterday (12/09/2023), when Cross Rivers State Governor Bassey Otu hosted Etim Patrick Bassey and initiated comprehensive rehabilitation plans for him.” This is commendable for a state and administration whose mantra is “people first,” and congrats to “Ironbar.” I, and I believe Etim Patrick, will be eternally thankful to the man who did the recording and went by the handle @_egungun for drawing our attention to this issue. Getting back on his feet is without a doubt the best “Gold Medal” Etim will ever receive.”
