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Alexandra Asogwa, aka Alex Unusual, talks about her interest in sports, her Super Eagles crush, and more in this exciting interview with PETER AKINBO.
When you were in school, what sporting activities did you participate in?
I did a lot in secondary school, like the high jump, long jump, relay races and discus. And I was really good at long jump, discus and relays. I didn’t use to run the first lap during relays because I was terrible at take-off, so I always took the last lap.
Did you win some medals and do you still have them?
Sure, I won a lot of them, and all the times I ran, we finished first because I was the fastest in the relay team. The medals should still be in my parents’ house.
When you were participating in sports, were your parents supportive?
Yes, they were very supportive; my parents have always been supportive of everything I did including going into the Big Brother House except maybe my dad, because I had to leave school for that. However, in a lot of other things I tried my hand at, they supported me a lot, and I am sure they would have been excited about a career in sports.
As good as you were at running, why didn’t you pursue a career in sports?
Well, I don’t think this country (Nigeria) supports these sports so much. Discus for example, I don’t think it gets the attention it deserves. I don’t know any discus athletes in Lagos. I just don’t think they get the same level of attention like basketball or football. After I left secondary school and got into the university, I discovered that there were no provisions for things like that, I can’t remember having anything like that in the university. So, in a way, you kind of move away from sports and move towards other things because there is really nothing that promotes it and encourages you to continue in it.
This was how you felt back then. Do you think this is still the case?
Yes, I think so. In secondary and primary school, there is a lot of encouragement in sports but when you leave and the universities don’t really have a lot of sporting facilities and activities. So, I still don’t think the situation has improved till now.
Which sport do you enjoy the most?
For now, I think I have a lot of love for tennis. I have not really tried it that much so I can’t really find the time but I like tennis. I have a friend that plays table tennis and he says I can play tennis at the same place. It’s a very exciting sport and I just love the movements and the rhythm that comes with the sport.
Who is your favourite athlete and why?
That will be Serena Williams. I like how she is not just about sports, she brings a fashionable side to what she does. I have also seen her do other things like feature in Beyonce’s music video. And you know how people make it seem like women in sports are masculine, she doesn’t act like that.
What do you think of the Super Eagles?
I don’t really know much about them but I have a crush on one of the players in the Super Eagles. I won’t say his name but I have a crush on a player there and he’s tall, dark, and handsome. I don’t really watch the Eagles but I almost watched because of my crush. I don’t like the way fans watch football, whenever they don’t play that good, there’s so much abuse and insults and maybe that’s how everyone watches football; you like the footballers today and tomorrow, it’s looking like they’ve never done anything good their entire lives. That’s why I don’t really like watching football, because of how the fans react to their play.
If any of your kids wanted to go into boxing, would you be supportive?
I don’t think the children that will come from me will like boxing. If that’s what they want to do, fine, but I can’t be treating your face and all those injuries. I feel like it’s just too much so I won’t support it. I’ll leave the child, but I’m sure he’ll know that his mummy is not happy about it, but I will let him do what he wants to do.
You’re still young, would you still consider going into sports?
I will if I get good at tennis when I start playing. But as I said, I don’t think this country supports sports as they should, so it’s going to be too much of a struggle. I love sports though and might really give tennis a try soon.