Nigeria's Ex Sprinter King Joins British Army To Keep Body And Soul Together

1] This young gentleman here is Olusoji Fasuba, a former Nigerian 100 metres sprinter who served the country with distinction between 2003 and 2010

[2] He is the current African 100 metres record holder with a speed of 9.85 seconds
[3] Soj...i was a member of the Nigerian bronze medal winning team in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 2004 Olympic Games and that same year he won the 100 metres race in the African Championships
[4] Also, Soji won the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games behind Asafa Powell and was the indoor world champion over 60 metres in 2008, becoming the first African to complete the feat
[5] In 2006, Soji established a new African record of 9.85 seconds at the Doha Grand Prix, breaking Frankie Fredericks' old record of 9.86 seconds from 1996. His run was remarkable as he is almost a foot shorter than many other sprinters and is thought to have one of the fastest footspeeds in athletics
[6] In 2010, however, Fasuba's sprinting career came to an end like that of every sporting athlete's does. Sadly, Nigeria did not have any retirement plans for him as is the case with many of our athletes
[7] Faced with the need to keep body and soul together, Soji decided to relocate to the UK and join the Royal Navy to enable him look after his family
[8] Soji joined the Royal Navy applying through the careers office in Oxford and embarked on a career as logistician rating. Now a fully qualified logistician, Fasuba now serves on the Royal Navy Flagship HMS Bulwark
[9] It is unfortunate that Nigeria does not have proper retirement plans for its sportsmen and women who serve the country with honour and distinction. Sadly, upon retirement, such athletes have to find a way to reintegrate themselves into mainstream society their own way
[10] If you know of any such Nigerian in the UK like Soji Fasuba who has served the country with distinction but had to find his own way without complaining and just getting on with it, please go to www.nigeriancentenaryawardsuk.com and nominate them for recognition at the forthcoming Nigerian Centenary Awards Uk dinner due in London on June 27.