A program I
watched some days back on TV, I think BBC, provided the answer to a long
lingering wonder, “Why do the Kenyans, and East Africans in general, perform so
well in long distance race? Why do they always excel, turn champs every time,
in that sport at international competitions? Are they born or gifted naturally
like that? It continued to puzzle me until the day I watched that clip on the
TV.
What did I
find out? In one word, deliberateness.
 |
| Photo by Bekir Donmez on Unsplash |
Many people
in the past have provided their opinion on what may account for the phenomenon.
However, none has really been very convincing. Such reasons as genetic predisposition,
traditional diet, training at altitudes, motivation to achieve economic success
due to poverty level in that country, among others.
Watching
that TV documentary, what I saw was that Kenyans do organize themselves into
groups for purposes of distance running. The groups abound and cut across ages
but especially the youths. They engage in the running on scheduled and regular
basis. As they continue with the practice, it begins to become something
natural to them.
The groups
are not haphazard but well organized and planned with officers and trainers or
guides who take charge of the group. That way the individuals involved develop
the stamina, skill, mental approach, discipline, and other things that may be
necessary for top notch result in long distance running. Also their minds are
channeled and concentrated in one direction rather than scattering the energies
in different directions.
They runners
also do not need to look far for motivation. They have seen their country men
who compete in long distance race at national, regional, and international, competitions
become celebrities by excelling in the sport.
Also, as in
other sports, there is much money to be made from long distance running. In
other words, they youths see it as an avenue to make money, more so when the
earning could be in dollars. As one runner puts it, she has to engage in it so
he could use the money to take care of himself and the extended family.
What of the
fame? The youths have seen their fellow country men and women achieve stardom
at national and world stage through long distance race. With that, long
distance race is seen by youths as a profitable career to follow.
Long
distance race is not just a sport but an avenue for a better socio-economic
life. So they see it as a niche, out of the many possible sports, to nurture,
to develop, and to own. And they are deliberate about it. This deliberate
approach means that strategic plans are put in place to ensure continuity and
encouragement to those who may wish to take it up.
They organized it. They practiced it, they
kept at it, and it became a living style, a philosophy, until it became a
culture. Or rather, they cultured it.
That’s why
they seem so natural at it, even at competitions at the highest level. They
seem made for it, or it made for them, and the prize is already decided,
awaiting them.
For countries
without that deliberate approach to the sport, the result for them is often
haphazard. Their performance is unpredictable. They may win the envisioned
prize and they may not. You cannot trust the outcome. They are unreliable.
Today you have a rare flash, like the feat of Chioma Ajunwa, Falilat Ogunkoya,
and others, but it could take another 20 years or a lifetime to replicate such.
Why? Simple; they rely on stray talents. Such talents may not be consistently
available. There is no pool from where they may be pulled. The crux is that
such country, as do Nigeria, aim at discovered talent, and not the process of
cultivating talents.
This piece,
as a reminder, is not so much about sports. Nor is it about Kenyans and their
excellence and consistency at achieving top notch result in long races at local
and international competitions. The piece is more about being deliberate in our
lives; whether at individual, family, and national lives. Speaking on the
myriad issues bedeviling Nigeria, on TVC News, Mrs. Tope Fajemgbesin-Balogun,
pointed out that “the thing we do in Nigeria is that we are not intentional”.
This sort of culture has its ripples at various units in the society. And it is
circuitous
Being
deliberate is to be purposeful, focused, intentional, and holistic, while
aiming at a particular outcome or result. It is important to note that in being
deliberate, the process is even to be concerned with, more than the goal. This
is because if the process is followed rightly and maintained in a consistent
manner, the goal would come in an effortless manner. Just as long distance race
do with Kenyans.
You can also see it in contemporary football as mentioned in our article Be deliberate about your life where most players can now play with both
legs unlike before when natural footers are the other of the day. Playing with
both legs is the ideal so every footballer is now deliberate, intentional about
acquiring the skill. And they are adapting and making success of it.
Not being deliberate
produces a lot of inconsistencies, a lack of stability, unsettled life, and
pain of all kinds.