By Kesah Princely, Cameroon.
When 24 year old Becajum Buh Meh heavily committed himself to train so hard, his intention was far from being a mere spectator of the national university games, a competition he had relished as a little primary school boy. He could never have imagined the farthest he would go is clapping for his peers with other disabilities at the sideline. This is because Becajum is blind and his kind would not have the chance to participate at the National University Games.
However, this is the situation he now finds himself in weeks before thousands of athletes, disabled and nondisabled converge for Cameroon’s ambiance filled national University Games.
For over ten months, Becajum trained in different disciplines including Goal Ball, Short Put and Runs. Heart breaking as it might sound though, he has been informed blind athletes won’t be accommodated in the University Games.
“It came like a loud bomb to my heart that visually impaired athletes will not take part in the games,” he revealed in an emotionally charged interview with DNA.
“I had gone through the training and the sad news came after my documents for the games had been validated,” he added.
Becajum Buh Meh is a second year student of Public Administration, Faculty of Laws and Political Science, University of Buea. The said university, created in 1993, is one of two state universities in the Northwest and Southwest regions, also known as Anglophone Cameroon. There are nine others in the remaining eight regions of the francophone part of the bilingual country.
Earlier in October 2023, Becajum joint thousands others in a rigorous formal training designed by the University of Buea sport department to prepare for the Games. the 24th edition of the games takes place in the city of Garoua, Northern region of Cameroon this year.
In the middle of the preparatory exercise, strategically came the Vice Chancellor’s Cup, presenting a rare opportunity to detect, nurture and encourage athletes deemed resourceful to head the institution’s team to the games’ village.
What a way for Becajum to enjoy the fruit of hard work. His commitment paid off as he appeared among a few athletes who distinguished themselves among thousands of participants at the pre-University Game tournament.
Bagging home two precious gold and a bronze medal in the competition was enough to crown Becajum the king of Paralympic sports in the University of Buea. With his incredible performances at the VC tournament, many already baptised him a sure gold medallist at the University Games.
However, the versatile athlete known to spit fire each time he steps in the ring would now watch the games from thousands of miles away instead of being watched as had been his target when he enrolled in the university two years ago, and the only reason is that he is blind. Others including those with mobility and hearing impairments are part of the games but not blind athletes like the VC’s Cup champion.
There is a particular scene Becajum won’t ever forget So long as blind athletes remained sidelined from the games;
“when I went for my trophy after emerging as best paralympic athlete at the VC Cup, the lady awarding it told me to continue training with the other athletes, making it clear it would only be to keep feat because blind persons are not eligible for the games,” he narrates.
About National University Games.
Every year, thousands of athletes from across different higher institutions of learning gather to compete for medals in various sporting disciplines at the National University Games also called Vasity Games. Many shining athletes from the said competition which is under the patronage of the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education have gone ahead to bring glory to Cameroon from international tournaments.
In 2023, over 3 thousand athletes from 23 institutions, including persons with disabilities participated in the games in Ngaoundere, Adamawa region. This year, an estimated 5 thousand athletes are expected to compete in over 20 disciplines in Garoua from May 3 to 11.
The projected increase is due to three more state universities created by a presidential decree in December 2022.
Why Becajum and Peers feel hurt.
Now in its 24th edition, Becajum who also just clocked 24 feels visually impaired like him too have something to offer in the University games. They are tired watching from afar and want meaningful inclusion and equitable participation.
During the last edition, University of Buea travelled with two blind athletes to the games’ village but they left without even a single kick of the ball.
Organisers claimed the duo could not compete within themselves given they had come from the same institution.
Far from what seemed a perfect way to console the blind athletes, an exclusive DNA investigation has now unveiled the injustices surrounding the games.
According to sources, more vision impaired athletes were denied the opportunity to travel and participate in the competition last year, and this is not a recent issue. They have not had any chance to take part in the games for 24 years now and very little is done to ensure their inclusion.
One of those who could not travel for the 2023 edition on grounds the tournament is not designed to accommodate blind athletes is Silas Mbuh, 27 year old student of Educational leadership, The University of Bamenda, Northwest region.
Silas is a passionate and dynamic young man who always dreamt of becoming a successful paralympic athlete, and having the opportunity to participate in competitions was a moment he prayed for everyday of his life. This is because of what he qualifies as “Low regards for adapted sports for the blind in Cameroon”.
However, Silas was motivated and hopeful his dream to become a professional athlete could finally come true when he got enrolled in The University of Bamenda three years ago. He hoped to shine through the Vasity Games.
Difficult to believe as it seemed to be, Silas soon had to understand exclusion was a common feature for the blind and partially sighted in Cameroon. He would train all year long but be dropped from travelling for the 2023 games because he is blind.
“I think organisers of the university games are excluding us because they don’t want to spend a dime to get us involved,” he revealed sorrowfully.
“An administrator once categorically told me that including adapted sports for the blind in University Games is so costly and something not to think of anytime soon,” he recounts.
Highly decorated international blind gold medallist, Clement Yuh, President of The University of Bamenda Association of Students with Disabilities told DNA that not receiving accreditation for last year’s games came as a blow to blind athletes who had trained all year round.
In dismay and frustration, the Olimpic athlete would go from one office to another, hoping to get first hand information why they would not travel for the games, but the more visits he made to these offices, the more it got him thinking in disappointment.
“I wander if they want blind people to create their own university and their own games to participate in,” he thought.
Very painful to Clement is the fact that, he participated in the games when he was still sighted but can no longer take part because he is now blind.
In the meantime, the two who had by chance attended as spectators last year had continued training hard ahead of the 2024 edition which is now just weeks ahead. They thought since organisers of the games now are aware of their plight, they could be in action for the first time in 24 years.
This was simply just a fantasy though. They have been asked to drop from training because they won’t make it to the games’ village in Garoua.
Why are blind athletes denied participation in University Games?
It seems all a mystery to say organisers are blind to national and international legal instruments protecting disabled athletes given the Higher Education Ministry should by far have more scholars who should interpret the law than any other in the country. However, neglect could be playing a bigger part in their exclusion as revealed by Angeline Amina, National president of Association of students with disabilities in State Universities, an organisation fighting for the inclusion of blind athletes in the games.
“We petition the Ministry every year to include blind students in the games but they keep telling us they are limited statistics of them from the different universities,” she intimated to DNA.
“Organisers of the games say not all universities have blind students and buying materials for their sports is not a possibility,” Angeline added.
What the law says.
Article 8 of the 2010 national law relating to the welfare of persons with disabilities calls for the meaningful inclusion and full participation of persons with disabilities in cultural and sporting activities.
Similarly, the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which Cameroon ratified in December 2022 emphasizes the need for parties to include persons with disabilities in all Socio economic and political activities, including access to transport and sport.
Also, article 26 of Cameroon’s constitution clearly reveals that equality should be upheld, ensuring the respect of the rights of everyone.
Way forward.
Visually impaired athletes believe as Cameroonians, they too should participate in the University Games.
In 2015, Cameroon hosted the Blind African Football Championship in the city of Douala, the country’s economic capital where the team finished runners up behind Morocco.
They have brought much glory from international tournaments and one man who has stood tall for Cameroon is Clement You who harvested three precious Medals including gold at the Grand Pre Marrakesh, a competition which held in Morocco in 2023, the same year he would be denied accreditation to compete in the National University Games.
The cry of Becajum, Silas and Clement to the ministry of Higher Education, it is that blind athletes with visual impairment want to be part of the competition going forward.
Njukang Princeley