If in this age and time we still have people sceptical about the ability of women in activities mostly considered masculine, I only hope you don't get convinced practically just as I recently was. Women today compete favourably on the same pedestal with men and especially in certain professions, activities, sports and works considered male-oriented. Often times, the notion stems from the perpetual conviction that women are the weaker sex, hence they are often doubted even before trial. Now I'm not talking about academics but activities that has perhaps become the strong hold of men so to say.
I got a first hand lesson few weeks ago on the inherent consequences of this perception about women. It was one of those football weekends and I had gone to see my beloved club, Arsenal play at a viewing center within my neighbourhood. As expected and habitual with my club, there were many chances but the ball rather than making its way into the goal post kept going to the spectator stands. At half time, I decided to go outside and savour the natural air for awhile so I could escape the rowdiness of the inside and more importantly, the tauntings from fans of rival clubs.
My mood was lifted when I sighted two guys playing table tennis just beside the center. Quickly, I had gone to join them. I love playing the game and infact, when it comes to physically engaging in a sporting activity, table tennis tops my list. I am a football fanatic but that is only by watching, gave up playing actively a long time when I got wounded (I chose to avoid saying injury….only professionals have injuries. The rest of us have wounds).
It’s safe to say table tennis came about by accident and I became quite good at it. Those who have been served a taste of my fury after emerging from my long hiatus and temporary retirement when I play can attest to this, friends like Tomiwa Alli, Adesina Yinka, Adegboye Michael, Osunsanya Tayo(dated back to Secondary school) just to mention a few of those who have suffered ridiculously moral-shattering embarrassing defeats from my hand.
The guys I met playing were about rounding up when I joined them but one of them had insisted on playing with me still. Apparently he had been losing and was looking to make a scape goat of me. Perhaps I had appeared too cool to be good at it. My outward look probably had stead me in the frame of someone not table tennis savvy. To cut short the story, I dispatched the guy in a manner that left him blaming the banner(bat,as it is commonly known) and frustrated. Even the call for a second round rather than make us even only showed him the first round was but an exhibition. His friend who had earlier defeated him joined in the solidarity cause and tried to avenge his defeat to no avail. Then I heard what I considered a joke. ‘’Chairman, no think am o. E get person wey go fit beat u o’’. The latest victim said as he dabbed to wipe off sweat from his face.
Turned out their much talked about Champion was a lady. I almost fell on the ground due to my uncontrollable laughter. Without wasting much time, the lady was handed the banner. The first game went in my favour and it was obvious she was no novice at the game. Though still not up to my level. We began the second round and it was a close context she eventually won. The third round was a disaster. Nothing I tried worked. If I smash, she returns, send her on errand on the table, she retaliated in more deadly fashion. At this point, she was now coasting to victory anyhow, beating me with consummate ease. I didn’t know when I murmured ‘’It’s been a long while I played o’’. Got to a point I began to look at my banner as though I was expecting an answer to what I was experiencing. The banner instead stared back at me. An idea came to my mind to swap sides with her. It was even worst when I swapped. it was not working. The games I was winning were being won by a whisker of luck whereas hers was by miles of margin.
My anger was getting palpable and I was just trying my utmost to salvage what was left of my pride. My ego was greatly bruised, my hands became heavy from the burden of the ignominy of defeat. I could never have imagined that a lady could defeat me. Had to tell her after 8 games that my eyes had been itching me all along and I had just been managing. I feigned the itching so much you would think I was cutting onions. What however made it worse was my observation that she hadn’t broken a sweat all along while I was very much soaked.I won only 3 of 8 games of 21 points.
Never had I thought of the possibility of suffering a defeat to someone of the opposite sex in a sport where defeat was alien to me. To be candid, I rarely do lose. It has been almost two months since that defeat and it had taken me a while to get over the phobia I suddenly developed for my beloved game. Karma is indeed a bitch because I felt for the first time in a while what losing at the game meant. If it did anything to me at all, it was that it drove in the common parlance that what a woman can do, a lady can do better. That I need not underrate the ‘can-do’ spirit of women even in activities synonymous to the male folks. Given a level playing field, anyone’s ass can be kicked by a lady.
Turned out Arsenal won their game that day, that served a mild consolation to me in what had already become a very sore day.
©Foltem
2017
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