Uncommon energy, by Patrick Omorodion

To be a goal getter in any endeavour, you must have a strength of character that enables you choose “the harder right over the easier wrong.” People with such characters show quiet resilience, emotional restraint and integrity when it is difficult to do so. They tend to exhibit uncommon energy in doing things to achieve goals that have been set for them or they set for themselves.

The Bible lists some men who showed uncommon energy in their work with God and for God. They included Samson, Elijah, Jacob and Moses, among others. We are told Samson tore a lion apart with his bare hands, slew 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, and ripped the massive city gates of Gaza off their hinges to carry them up a mountain. Elijah was said to have tucked his cloak into his belt and outran King Ahab’s chariot for roughly 17 miles all the way to Jezreel while Jacob was reputed to have wrestled an angel of God overnight until daybreak, refusing to let go until he received a blessing.

For the man God used to deliver the Israelites from Egypt, Moses, he led millions of people through a desert for 40 years and this required immense vitality. Bringing this back home, we have sports administrators who exhibited uncommon energy to achieve certain goals. In no particular order, I remember Tijjani Umar who, as president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, showed uncommon energy in steering the federation, leading fellow board members to work extra time, some- times at odd hours to achieve what had never been achieved in basketball history in Nigeria.

That is winning the Nations Cup, known as Afrobasket. That feat remains unattainable since he left. In athletics, we had Dan Ngerem, who, with his private sector background, ensured things were done professionally with athletes getting their dues as at when due. His departure brought back issues of improper registration of athletes in major competitions, like the Favour Ofili case.

Daniel Igali turned around wrestling by leaving his comfort zone as president of the federation to jump into the mat to train with his athletes and put them through tactics that made him an Olympic gold medalist when he felt the coaches were not getting it right. His uncommon energy ensured Nigerian athletes were champions in Africa and attained podium performances at world championships and the Olympics.

That same energy is what our golden boy and former African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen exhibits for club and country. He puts in so much energy to his play whenever he dons his club or national team’s colours that most critics see him as not only aggressive but arrogant towards both opponents and teammates. The fear of losing causes him to run back to join defenders when his team is under pressure, helps work the ball from the midfield and supports whoever stood in for him in the attack by supplying the needed assist for goals.

In the Turkish Super Lig, his compatriot, Gift Orban and Mohammed Salah had beaten him by two goals in the golden boot race with eight goals each but despite coming back from an injury spell, Osimhen scored a brace in the game against Fernebahce.. After drawing level with Orban and Salah, Osimhen would still not relent because he has his eyes on the tar- get of being named the top scorer in the league.

That was what propelled him to use his uncommon energy to still play a league match against Konyaspor whenhis partner had just been delivered of his second baby. Osimhen announced the arrival of his baby girl by leading the goal rush in that 4-0 away way win. Not many players or athletes would have such energy to still play and game after seeing their wives go through child birth.

It is the same energy to create a great mile- stone in the target he has set for himself that makes Cristiano Ronaldo still exhibit uncommon energy to continue to play football at top level at the age of 41. Because the hunger to continue to play and meet the target of 1000th goal, Ronaldo was unhappy when Portugal coach failed to introduce him in a Nations League match against Denmark after making him to warm-up.

To him, because of the uncommon energy which not many players of his age have, he said that provided he was “physically fit, playing with my team, and hopefully scoring goals”, he would like to continue to play international football. Despite walking out of camp in annoyance, he still apologized knowing he still needed the Portuguese team and his Saudi Club to reach that 1000th goal mileage.

He accepted he was wrong to have walked out and offered an apology to his people and teammates. He said apologetically that “After my suspension period ends, I will be available, as I always have been, to compete and win with our national team.” And only on Thursday, Ronaldo showed his uncommon energy when, despite having two first half goals ruled offside, he still mustered courage and with determination scored a second half hat-trick in 15 minutes that shot him to 985 goals, just