Injury cut short my sports career, says nollywood actress

Nollywood actress, Moyinoluwa Olutayo, has spoken about how she liked watching Nwankwo Kanu and Daniel Amokachi during their days with the Super Eagles, and how injury ended her sports career.

The University of Ibadan graduate, in an interview with The Punch, said she was not a football fan, but enjoyed watching the Super Eagles.

She said, “I’m not a football freak. The only time I do is when I walk into a gathering and everyone is watching football and I choose to join them, or maybe when Nigeria is playing a major game.

“Growing up, I did lots of sporting activities back then. I used to be a sprinter and was also good in the marathon, representing my school and the Lagos State Government in competitions up to the university level. Outside that, I did a bit of tennis until I had a twisted ankle that stopped me from playing.

“Right now, the only time I engage in sports is when I go to the gym. I did shot put, and long jump as well. I also participated in the Nigerian University Games Association, when I was at the University of Ibadan. It was when we were preparing for the 1988 NUGA Games that I got injured and that automatically ended my sporting activities. If not for that injury, I would have gone into sports full-time.”

The presenter and filmmaker also spoke against discrimination when it comes to remuneration of male and female athletes.

“I will say that profession should not be viewed from the gender perspective. What I mean by that is if you take any profession and you put it on the table, the number of years it takes a male to study a course and have a degree is the same number of years it takes a female to study the same course and have a degree.

“Looking at it from that perspective, then I do not think there should be any gender discrimination when it comes to remuneration. There should not be any discrimination when it comes to what the female or the male should be earning,” Olutayo added.