It just keeps getting harder and better.

The past three days have been absolutely brilliant.

On Friday, I was the guest speaker at the 69th anniversary celebrations of the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, a family club that graciously made me a Life Membersome 5 or 6 years ago!

Chief Segun Odegbami

The topic of the lecture, deliberately chosen by me, was a famous quote by late Nelson Mandela, one of the men most admired in the world for what he stood for in the globalization of humanity.

Nelson Mandela had said in 1995, one year after he became the first Black President of a new South Africa, following his release from Jail after spending 27 years of a life sentence, that: ‘Sport has the power to change the world’.

‘Sport’ in the context of his speech is much more than physical exercise.

It was an opportunity for me to explain it, to go into the depths of his words, to tell my own story in relation to it, and to creatively connect the dots to the genesis, motivation and scope of my governorship intentions in Ogun State from May 2019.

It is an intriguing oratorical engagement for me.

Not too many people fully appreciate, even till now, what those eternal words, cast in marble, truly and fully represented! Only the deep can understand the deep.

I ‘caught’ Mandela’s message. I can relate it to some historic developments in the life of the global icon.

Twice during his life time, Nelson Mandela changed the course of the history of the world. Both times Sportwas the tool deployed.

The first was in 1976.

I was an active participant.

It happened at the Olympic games in Montreal, Canada, when, for the first time in history, 17 Black African Countries, came together in unity and in one voice, something that politics and governments have not succeeded in doing at the United Nations and all other global international bodies, to present and stand against the shame of 600 years of slavery, colonialism and neo-colonialism, years that have made the Black person the most enslaved, abused, unloved, oppressed, impoverished, and disrespected human species in the history of civilization.

That day in the month of July my Nigerian co-athletes and I were some of those that made the ultimate sacrifice, gave up our dreams at the gates of our greatest opportunities in life to achieve personal fame and fortune, heeded the directive of our government and walked out from the Olympic games village in protest one day to its start. That boycott resulted in the worst Olympic Games in history.

That action, led by Nigeria, also started a global avalanche that ended with the abolition of Apartheid, the release of Nelson Mandela and his colleagues, the installment of the first Black President in a new South Africa, and the first taste of the power of sport to change the course of human history.

I was there physically present, a young man, an impressionist sportsman, freshly minted from the Polytechnic, Ibadan.

I told them that story.

I also told them a second story, another moment in history.

August 26, 1995.

Nelson Mandela was once again involved.

He was one year in office in a country that had been almost irreversibly divided by hatred between Whites and Blacks and other coloured people in South Africa.

In one unforgettable moment of uncommon courage, Mandela brokered the process of peace and reconciliation of the races by setting aside the hurt, pain, injustice, humiliation of 27 years’ incarceration by Whites, by attending, to the consternation of all Blacks around the world, the opening ceremony of a White Rugby World Cup ceremony being hosted by South Africa.

He walked on to the field that memorable day, wearing the Green jersey of the Springboks, the greatest symbol of White supremacy, repression, oppression, and discrimination, setting a new human standard in forgiveness, raising his profile to that of a divine icon, and igniting the fire of reconciliation between Whites and Blacks not only in his country, but subtly around the world.

The tool, once again, was sport.

Beyond the actual physical activities, Sport can be a powerful voice(as in 1976), a uniting agent (as in 1995) and much more.

With creative thinking, Sport can become a powerful tool to drive community, national, regional and even global social, cultural, economic, political, diplomatic, infrastructural and integration agenda.

The testaments are all around us – the 2018 World Cup in Russia being the latest example.  Russia successfully used the power of sport to represent the country to the world as a developed, friendly and welcoming new global tourist destination!

That was what Nelson Mandela was referring to in his now famous speech.

Last Friday night, members of Lagos Country Club had the opportunity to share my story and glean my mind on how the power of Sport can also be deployed to kick-start a humongous new project that will impact the whole world from a small seed being planted in Ogun State now!

To become governor of Ogun State is to kick-start the evolution of a new Black worldwide civilization that will drive unprecedented development in all spheres of life, benefiting the totality of Ogun State citizens, the Yoruba of the South West, Nigerians, Africa and the entire Black persons on the planet.

It is not too big a dream to dream. I have seen and experienced such possibility. So, I know it can be done successfully using Sportas a tool and Ogun State the perfect launch pad.

When the time comes, we shall the people ‘how’!

Salutation and support for me have not stopped coming from most of those that were present, as well as those that heard about Friday night and choose to align with it.

If I thought that day was a great harvest of political converts, I was in for another pleasant surprise the following day.

Close to 400 children, between the ages of 10 and 15, had converged in Wasimi.

Every available spare room in the village if taken up by these gifted children for a one whole week’s programme, the 2ndedition of an annual kiddies’ football pilgrimage that started last year with about 200 children.

This is a unique connection with the grassroots through sport.

The children come from all over Ogun State, and even Ikorodu, in Lagos State.

My encounter with them is next in my diary of the past three incredible days!

Segun Odegbami