Novice rower wins hearts of Eton crowd

[achuzia-the-air-raid]

Novice rower wins hearts of Eton crowd

By Eurosport | London Spy – 7 hours ago



Niger's Hamadou Djibo Issaka, a rower of just three months, was given a rapturous reception normally reserved for gold medallists after struggling to the finish line in the men's single sculls on Sunday.
Drawing comparisons to swimmer Eric "the Eel" Moussambani who crawled to fame at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Djibo Issaka eventually crossed the line a full minute and 39 seconds after Lithuanian winner Mindaugas Griskonis. His time was 8 minutes 39.66 seconds.
"You can do it," yelled the announcer at the course on Dorney Lake to the west of London as Djibo Issaka approached the finish while the crowd of 20,000 in the grandstands stood, waved flags and roared him on.
The 35-year-old from landlocked Niger in West Africa had received a wild card to the Olympics, allocated to ensure all 204 National Olympic Committees can take part even if no athletes have qualified. Niger has sent six athletes to London.
On Saturday he came last in his heat with a time of 8:25:56 - more than a minute slower than the penultimate sculler from El Salvador - but rowing gives everyone a second chance to progress, or repechage, and he returned on Sunday but added 14 second to his time.
Grimacing with pain, Djibo Issaka summoned one final push before slumping over his oars and gasping for breath.
"I have only been rowing for three months," Djibo Issaka, wearing green, white and orange lycra, told reporters at the venue which is set in a 450-acre parkland built by Eton College, one of Britain's most famous schools which has educated a string of British prime ministers.
He said he started out as a swimmer but switched to rowing this year and spent two weeks training in Egypt, two months in Tunisia, as his coach is Tunisian, and a week in Belgium.
Djibo Issaka was confident that his performance at London could mark the start of a new era for rowing in Niger.
"There are many people who want to start rowing because I have come to the Olympic Games," he said. "We will start when I get back. We just have to wait for the boats to arrive."
Djibo Issaka was being compared to one of the Olympic's most famous underdogs, swimmer Eric "the eel" Moussambani from Equatorial Guinea, who became a world sensation at Sydney.
Having trained for only eight months in a 20 metre-hotel pool, Moussambani swam his heat on his own after the other two competitors were disqualified for false starts and he flagged near the end, appearing to almost sink near the finish.
Roared on by the 17,000-strong crowd, his time of 1:52.72, was the slowest seen at an Olympics and more than a minute behind the world record but he received a standing ovation and instant fame.
Another underdog, ski jumper Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards, soared to fame at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games when the near-sighted British plasterer with thick glasses flung himself off the ski jump with arms flailing.
Edwards finished last but won the hearts and imagination of the sporting world for his spirit and determination.
His performance also caught the attention of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which later tightened qualification standards ruling out the chance of ever seeing the likes of an Eddie on an Olympic ski jumping hill ever again.
Martin Polley, senior lecturer in sport at Southampton University, said it was unique to find such underdogs competing among the world's athletic elite.
"Other world tournaments have stricter qualification criteria but the Olympics is about encouraging all countries to have a go and to take part," Polley told Reuters.
Not everyone agrees. Britain's five-times Olympic gold medallist Steve Redgrave has repeatedly spoken out against the approach by rowing's governing body to use the Games to try and encourage new countries to take up the sport.
He told Reuters in the past that the sight of a rower being "hammered" by over a minute was not a very practical way to encourage participation.
Reuters

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/lon ... 31479.html

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

Why is the man disgracing himself?3 months and he's in the Olympics?GTFOH!

[seara]

BRAVOOOOOO Hamadou Djibo Issaka!!!!!!!!!!!

[Molue Conductor]

Moral victory galore

[tfco]

These are the events that Africans CAN also compete...and perhaps medal.

with proper training, equipment and a good program, we can surely compete with the best.

Congrats to the guy.

[smartbrother]

Gosh This dude needs to disappear and stop embarrassing us

[seara]

Gosh This dude needs to disappear and stop embarrassing us

No. There's need for more people on the planet who've perseverance and don't fear what people who think like you think about them.

Bravo that with 3 months training he did that well!!!!!!!!

[akamoke]

Seera

I think ever since we have professionalised the olympics, people have totally forgotten what the true spirit of the olympics is.

Hamadou's is a very inspiring story, maybe because of him some kid might take up the sport in Niger and win the gold in the future...you just never know

No disgrace at all

[seara]

Seera

I think ever since we have professionalised the olympics, people have totally forgotten what the true spirit of the olympics is.

Hamadou's is a very inspiring story, maybe because of him some kid might take up the sport in Niger and win the gold in the future...you just never know

No disgrace at all

Thank you very much for posting this lovely post, akamoke!!!!

It doesn't take much courage to compete when there's been years of doing a sport and a lot of training, but to compete when there's only been rowing for 3 months with almost 3 months of training, well just WOW!!!!!!

True spirit of the olympics indeed!!!!

I would like for the future that people aren't serious, or so serious, about being the best, that they just joy in whatever sport they're interest in and playfully compete, if they want to compete.

There might be people who've never bothered with trying to compete in a particular sport, that if they did, might be better at that sport than the people who are thought to be the best. To me the people who've won isn't an indication they're the best. They're just the best of the people who trained a lot and competed.

[bret- hart]

We need to start being more competitive in these events.

[mate]

Gosh This dude needs to disappear and stop embarrassing us

No. There's need for more people on the planet who've perseverance and don't fear what people who think like you think about them.

Bravo that with 3 months training he did that well!!!!!!!!

Have to agree with you on this.

Maybe this will be an additional siren for African nations to get their act together and start winning. All this foolish talk of oyimbo sports is bs.



I see no reason why Africans cannot win in anything from swimming to field hockey to wrestling to beach volleyball. African Star aside, I think we all know why it's not happening. At some point, Africa's leaders have to be compelled to give Africans the opportunities and support necessary to field top athletic teams.

Cheers, Mate

[folem]

Gosh This dude needs to disappear and stop embarrassing us

No. There's need for more people on the planet who've perseverance and don't fear what people who think like you think about them.

Bravo that with 3 months training he did that well!!!!!!!!

Have to agree with you on this.

Maybe this will be an additional siren for African nations to get their act together and start winning. All this foolish talk of oyimbo sports is bs.



I see no reason why Africans cannot win in anything from swimming to field hockey to wrestling to beach volleyball. African Star aside, I think we all know why it's not happening. At some point, Africa's leaders have to be compelled to give Africans the opportunities and support necessary to field top athletic teams.

Cheers, Mate

Africans have won Olympic medals in Swimming, Field Hockey & Wrestling.

[mate]

I'm saying in number, not as one offs...in response to those who point out that many African nations don't win enough based on their population and potential.

Cheers, Mate

[folem]

South Africa have won Gold in Rowing Men's lightweight coxless four.

[Prince]

Seera

I think ever since we have professionalised the olympics, people have totally forgotten what the true spirit of the olympics is.

Hamadou's is a very inspiring story, maybe because of him some kid might take up the sport in Niger and win the gold in the future...you just never know

No disgrace at all

The same way eric the eel inspired the next generation of African swimmers abi, this patronising of Africans has to stop, it is humiliating, the guy is simply not good enough if he want to contest let him go and train for four years and compete he should not be allowed to contest.
its like giving African aids despite being one of the richest continent we dont need hand out anymore or people patronizing us

[anointed]

Eric the eel
Eddie the eagle

[seara]

Gosh This dude needs to disappear and stop embarrassing us

No. There's need for more people on the planet who've perseverance and don't fear what people who think like you think about them.

Bravo that with 3 months training he did that well!!!!!!!!

Have to agree with you on this.

Maybe this will be an additional siren for African nations to get their act together and start winning. All this foolish talk of oyimbo sports is bs.



I see no reason why Africans cannot win in anything from swimming to field hockey to wrestling to beach volleyball. African Star aside, I think we all know why it's not happening. At some point, Africa's leaders have to be compelled to give Africans the opportunities and support necessary to field top athletic teams.

Cheers, Mate

Yes, Mate.

Cheers.

[seara]

Seera

I think ever since we have professionalised the olympics, people have totally forgotten what the true spirit of the olympics is.

Hamadou's is a very inspiring story, maybe because of him some kid might take up the sport in Niger and win the gold in the future...you just never know

No disgrace at all

The same way eric the eel inspired the next generation of African swimmers abi, this patronising of Africans has to stop, it is humiliating, the guy is simply not good enough if he want to contest let him go and train for four years and compete he should not be allowed to contest.
its like giving African aids despite being one of the richest continent we dont need hand out anymore or people patronizing us

It was wonderful that Issaka rowed. He did his best and for a while while people were cheering they didn't care about people wining.

[seara]

South Africa have won Gold in Rowing Men's lightweight coxless four.