{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Mathematical 7","provider_url":"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7","title":"Sport can change the Black person's world! - Mathematical 7","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"l0mnMsYFmY\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/sport-can-change-the-black-persons-world\/\">Sport can change the Black person&#8217;s world!<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/sport-can-change-the-black-persons-world\/embed\/#?secret=l0mnMsYFmY\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Sport can change the Black person&#8217;s world!&#8221; &#8212; Mathematical 7\" data-secret=\"l0mnMsYFmY\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/mathematical7.com\/m7\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Nelson_Mandela.jpeg","thumbnail_width":3200,"thumbnail_height":1680,"description":"Once upon a time, Sport bared its fangs.It clearly demonstrated that it has the power to change the world\u2019s dynamics.I was there.In fact, I was a participant \u2013 a sacrificial lamb.Let me tell you the story.In 1976 I was a young impressionist football player, the most unlikely person to be heading to the Olympic games.Freshly minted by the Polytechnic Ibadan, and waiting for my call-up to the National Youth Service Corp scheme, I received an invitation summoning me to join the\u00a0Green Eagles, the national football team, on tour in Europe.The entire contingent in several sports including track and field, boxing, table tennis and wrestling were already on tours to different parts of Europe in a final preparation for the summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.I was in a trance. It was like dream.Through some incredible circumstances akin to a miracle, at the very last \u2018minute\u2019 I replaced another player whose name had already been sent and registered for the games. That\u2019s the effect of being \u2018mathematical\u2019 on the field of play, I guess!That\u2019s how I found myself heading to Europe for the first time, and onward to the biggest multi-sports event in the world, where only gods on Mount Olympus in ancient Greek mythology went and competed amongst themselves!So, In July of 1976, I was with the gods in Montreal, experiencing some of the most exciting times of any young person\u2019s life, amongst thousands of athletes from all over the world congregated in one place, bound by the spirit of friendship and competition between\u00a0equals.After 400 years of slavery and some 200 years of colonization and de-colonisation, it is only in sport that the Black person has managed to find a medium to demonstrate some level of parity in the world.The Nigerian team was summoned to an emergency meeting on the eve of the opening ceremony of the games by the leader of the delegation, General Olutoye.We were given the bombshell directive.We were to go pack our bags immediately from our rooms and leave the Olympic games village. We were going back to Nigeria!The world ended, for most of us!20 countries, 17 of them from Africa, led by Nigeria, were boycotting the games in protest against the presence of New Zealand.As we were at the games, the country had shunned a global ban of any sports contact with South Africa, and gone ahead on a Rugby tour to the country, resulting to the death of some 300 Black protesters in Soweto, South Africa.The Supreme Council for Sports in Africa and the International Olympic Committee had failed to resolve the matter because rugby was not even an Olympic sport and was outside the jurisdiction of the IOC.For the first time in history, Black African governments united in one voice and decided to pull their teams out of the games.That was how we athletes found ourselves being turned back on the eve of our greatest moment in sport, our hard work and dreams blown away in the gust of a struggle to emancipate our brothers and sisters in South Africa, as well as the entire Black race from mental slavery.The departure of Black Africans hit the games and the world very badly. It accentuated the fight against Apartheid and many years later played the biggest role in its final abolition."}