Former Nigeria sprinter and Athens 2004 Olympic Games bronze medalist, Deji Aliu, in this interview with ’TANA AIYEJINA, talks about his upbringing, winning the All Africa Games and more
How is life in retirement?
Life has been very interesting; I have been doing fine trying to adapt to not training and doing things differently. I think it’s good so far.
Do you feel like returning to the tracks again?
I always think of that because I love running. I ran for the love of it, not for the money. Most of the time, I still get myself fit but not at a competitive level.
Why did you chose running above other sports?
I love running, it was like a hobby. There were so many other sports. Because of my height, some said I should play basketball but track and field was my choice.
Did your parents encourage you?
I started running at an early age, when I was still in primary school. So, I started representing my secondary school at a very early stage. I was in the junior class when I was representing my school because I was far better than my seniors. Somehow, it was affecting my studies, they gave me a letter for my parents because I was missing classes but I was able to prove my parents wrong. I made them understand that this was what I wanted to do and I was lucky because they had a rethink at an early stage. They gave me the go-ahead and that was what propelled me to the height I attained.
Did you ever think that you would become a household name as an athlete?
Sincerely, I never thought of that. I was just running for the fun of it and I was not even thinking of representing my state or the country. Anytime I ran, I felt fulfilled. I was not thinking of anything.
When was the first time you were invited to run for Nigeria?
It was in 1992, after I had won the National Junior Open. I didn’t know what I had achieved then. Due to people’s encouragement, I started feeling I could go places. After the junior open, I was invited to the national camp and I represented the country at the World Junior Championships in South Korea. That was my first international competition.
What was the experience like?
It was fun because a young boy from high school was representing his country. For me, it was like a big party; I just went there to enjoy myself, although I was blessed because I got a bronze medal in the relay race. The team was one family and that first experience propelled me to work harder. It was remarkable.
How did you cope when you first got to camp with big names like Chidi Imoh, Ezinwa brothers and others?
One thing about me is that I love learning from people that know better than me. So, it was easy for me to adapt because I was more like their baby, willing to learn. I went close to them, talked to them and they received me with open arms. I think I was the only one that could talk to them. I didn’t let them rest; I always talked to them and that gave me a solid foundation. Their reception was overwhelming. It was the tonic I needed then.
In 1999, Nigeria won a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay race at the World Championships but got stripped after one of the athletes failed a dope test. How did you feel?
Naturally one would feel bad but I tried to move on. It was not an individual thing. I was not really bothered and I moved on immediately.
Nigerians love the 100m event. What was the mood like when you won the 2003 All Africa Games 100m gold medal on home soil?
Winning the AAG gold medal was the icing on the cake. That was my career high. Winning at home made it amazing. I couldn’t sleep; I was so happy. I prayed all day and thanked God after I got to my hotel. It’s not that I had not won bigger competitions but winning at home made it special.
How did you celebrate the feat?
I am not the party type. People were, celebrating but I just kept praying inside me with few friends. Before the final, I was sure I was going to get a medal but I was not sure about winning gold. When I won, I didn’t know how to celebrate.
A year later, you won a bronze medal in the relays at the Athens Olympic Games…
That bronze medal on my neck in Athens was a parting gift from God to me. He used that to bless me; I never thought we were going to win a medal because that year, I was nursing an injury. The team was made up of some young guys, not too experienced. I and Uche (Emedolu) were the only experienced ones. So, I said, “Let’s just go there and do our thing.” But God has a way of blessing people; He blessed us with that medal. The team deserved that medal because that was the second time I saw love and unity in the Nigerian team. Relays go beyond practicing baton exchange. The minds of the four athletes must be together. The first time I noticed that love was in 1999. There was love among the quartet; team spirit was there and everybody had same focus and that is why we got the medal.
We are a strong force in relays. What is responsible for this?
It’s high time we started looking beyond winning medals at competitions. I think we should start appreciating athletes that get to semi-finals and finals of their events. Relays are where you know countries that are strong collectively, but it’s not that we don’t have good individual athletes. It’s just that we don’t get the support other countries we are competing against get. I think that is where we are lacking. If we can match them in terms of preparations, we will win medals. Look at what Blessing Okagbare is doing; the support she is getting is overwhelming. You don’t expect a businessman that invested with N1m to make the same profit as the man who invested N100,000. It’s not possible. So, if we are to win medals, we have to match them in everything. If we can’t do that, then we should stop stressing the athletes. That is the truth.
What were the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them to become a top-class athlete?
The challenges were enormous but the spirit we had then is no longer in our present athletes. I have been going to the stadium for a while now, but the spirit is just not there. Back then, we didn’t think of the benefits. The challenges were there but there was nothing like impossibility. You can make anything possible if you want to. We were rugged and more determined; we were hungry. Now you can see the laxity in our athletes; nothing is motivating them. I don’t know what the problem is.
Do you think we can win medals in the short sprints at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games?
Athletics is not like football where a team can just spring surprises. A football team might not do well in one match but win the next match but that doesn’t happen in track and field events. By March, April, we will know who will win medals. That’s the truth. By June, I will be able to tell you athletes that will contest for medals. That’s how open track and field is. It’s not a sport where you sit down and start hoping. I have to be patriotic but honestly I don’t see anything happening right now. For now, maybe Okagbare, Ajoke Odumosu and some female quarter-milers.
What has happened to our male athletes?
I really wish I had an answer to this question. Back then, it was the men dominating: the Ezinwas, Adenekens. Even when these guys left, we were able to take over but I think it’s the same old problem. Apart from Okagbare, I can’t see anybody else. We need a stakeholders meeting where we will rub minds. They need to do proper overhauling. There are so many things to be done to bring back the lost glory but I doubt they would want to do them.
Can you tell us your best and worst moments?
I had so many great moments. But my best moment was when I celebrated the most. I danced azonto. That was the first time I ran under 10 seconds at the Athens Grand Prix in 2003. I was not expecting to run that fast. So, I did so many crazy things. My worst was at the World Indoor Championship in 2002 in Paris. I was sure of a medal. Everybody knew it, I was the fastest man in the world then and I was just cruising but I beat the gun and I was sent out in the semi-final.
What did you do with your first big money?
Was there a first big money? What I did was very personal. Despite the fact that the person I did it for likes telling people, I won’t tell anybody what I did with my first big money. But I didn’t spend it on myself.
What is your advice to up-and-coming athletes?
I want to see the hunger in them. They should bring back that passion; that spirit. I am not seeing these things anymore. They are too casual with training. There is so much to be made from track and field events. Don’t look at today, look at the bigger picture. They are just contented representing Nigeria and that limits them.
Who was the toughest athlete you competed against?
There were so many of them but while I was still at home before I turned professional, there was this guy, Nnamdi Anozie. That was the best guy in the world. He made track and field so interesting; he made me enjoy running. Despite the fact that he was beating me before I started doing the same to him, he was a very good competitor. He would tell me, “Deji are you ready? If I beat you this time, I will take your girlfriend.” But after running, we would still go out and eat pounded yam together. Nnamdi was one competitor that I will not forget in a hurry.
Who was your role model?
I don’t like saying this because I had so many people that encouraged me as a young athlete. They used to tell me, “You run like Carl Lewis, you look like Carl Lewis.” It used to make me feel good, so when I was growing up, my role model was Lewis. Even when people said I was tall and couldn’t sprint, I told them, “No, if Lewis can sprint, I can.”
You were not involved in drugs as an athlete. How did you do it?
I will give credit to my coach, Abel Akhigbe; he made me rugged. He didn’t just teach me as a coach, he taught me as a father. The first supplement I took was Supradyn, when I was going for the world juniors. My coach would tell you even if you were feeling pain, don’t take Panadaol. He would say it would go away. The terms I use now were what he used. So, I grew up with that.
How are you giving back to the society?
A lot of people have asked me this question. Honestly, the atmosphere is not conducive. People that don’t have the opportunity to get close to me say I am arrogant, pompous and snobbish and I don’t mind. I am a very principled person. I am not the begging type; I don’t beg for anything. That is why I give glory to God. I just felt if I keep waiting, the waiting game might never end. The athletes I train are my athletes and among them are two of my coach’s kids. I just want to push, contribute my own quota and impact the knowledge I have gathered in them.
Can you tell me about your family?
I am married with two daughters, one is in England and she is competing already.
Would you encourage your daughter to run for Nigeria?
Definitely. Despite the shortcomings, there is still so much passion representing Nigeria. I don’t know if the present athletes feel this way. I felt it when I was competing. There is so much prestige that goes with running for Nigeria. I always advised my daughter not to look at the financial aspect. We need to look beyond that.
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