Adesanya, yes, 
that is his name, Israel Adesanya has made us proud. He inspired in us a giddy, head spinning euphoria with his feat in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) , beating Andre Silver in the middleweight category on Sunday, 10th, February 2019 in Melbourne.
He is the light Nigeria needs right now.
Formerly vaunted as African hub of sports talent development, and true to the tag producing world conquering superstars in football, athletics, boxing and other sports in yesteryears, Nigeria in recent time have been short of sporting glory, leaving the sports mad citizenry bereft of anything worth celebrating.
But Israel Adesanya, who has been termed a Kiwi-Nigerian among other nicknames to describe his Nigerian ancestry and New Zealand citizenship, has contributed to a twist in dimension and growing trend in Nigeria sports in which sports exports who excel abroad profusely express their loyalty to Nigeria aside their adopted countries, whipping up intense excitement and huge support in the ‘home fans base’.
With the trophy chest dusty and lacking significant shine that contemporary victories can bring, Nigerians are taking solace by fully embracing sports stars doing well for other countries as long as such athletes openly acknowledge their ancestral heritage.
Significant in this pool, apart from Israel Adesanya, is Anthony Joshua a British professional boxer with Nigerian roots who is currently a unified world heavyweight champion, holding three of the four major championships in boxing, with a growing profile that has put him in the esteemed bracket of the most popular boxing figures in the recent time.
The boxer, highly admired for his rare combination of humility, respect for opponents and a knack for doing the job in the ring when it matters most, has never failed, anytime he has the opportunity, to drape himself in the nationalism ardour of the country of his birth, endearing himself to millions online, a feat that recently earned him a huge contract to feature in the country’s frontline telco, Globacom.
And Nigerians have love for him. Like Israel Adesanya. This development signposts a new dimension in celebrity and nationalism axis.
While it is not entirely new for Nigerians to celebrate sons and daughters performing well for other countries, it is noteworthy that the scale has gained a vertical ascendance especially once the player identifies with the country, even in the remotest bit.
Having a large pool of talent to draw from is a great edge that that the country has let slip in the recent time, with other countries coming strongly into the fray with chief examples being South Africans and Ivory Coast in athletics, Ghana in boxing among other major instances. The era of paying lip service to sports development should be over by now, replaced by genuine, spirited plan and execution of tailor made, and realistic developmental initiatives in the arena of sports in the country.
And as we await the return of the good old days of sporting glory with Nigerians all over the world carrying the country’s flag, sweating it out on behalf of fatherland, the only stop gap plan is to make do with the joy brought by naijas in other country’s colours, as long as the gladiators are benevolent enough to identify with us, even in the mildest form.
