Bleachers' Brew #207 A High Jump

This appears in the May 3, 2010 edition of the Business Mirror.

A High Jump

by rick olivares

In the book Enemies of Promise, early 20^th century British author Cyril Connolly wrote, “Whom the gods wish to destroy they first call promising.”

Itunu Kuku, high jump athlete for Ateneo de Manila, knows what it’s like to have the word “promising” and “potential” saddled on him like an albatross. He had no idea he could be good at something yet when he did good, there came expectations. And with expectations, there came disappointment.

Around noontime of February 7, 2010, “K” as Kuku is nicknamed, stood at tartan of the Rizal Memorial Track and Field Oval. The steel-eyed focus that he competed with minutes earlier had given way to a smile. Incredibly loose and fully confident of himself, he asked event officials to set the high jump bar at 196 centimeters. The record for the high jump in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines stands at 195 centimeters.

Upon the advice of his track coach Mick Perez, K was out to break the record.

Thrice (the allowed number of times a jumper is allowed) he tried to jump over the bar. Thrice he hit the bar for a foul that effectively disqualified him from the attempt.

But even as he plopped down to the protective foam, K had a huge grin on his face not out of embarrassment but one of giddiness. And it was an appreciative if not ecstatic crowd that cheered him on.

Why not? He had, in fact, already clinched the gold medal for the high jump and the triple jump and had given badly needed points for Ateneo in the school’s quest for the overall UAAP Track and Field championship of Season 72.

Incredibly, four years ago, K had never tried the high jump or any track events. He did run because everyone runs in one form or another although it was more recreational than anything.

But the question that best put things in perspective was – who was K?

K was born in Nigeria but his father was a career foreign service official, was first stationed in Zambia. And the family of five (K has two siblings) while based there knew of only the finest things. After six years, the family moved back to their homeland and it was there where he learned of the poverty, corruption, and AIDS that afflicted Zambia. “I was living a sheltered life. In some ways, it’s not real. Learning all that had a profound effect on me.” he said.

After a while, the family moved to the Philippines, his father’s new post. K went to Brent where the children of embassy officials go before he finished his high school education in Southville.

As things turned out, he went to Ateneo for college. He wanted to follow his father’s footsteps in Foreign Service and his father told him to take up Development Studies. He got into sports just for fun. Wanting to play football, he was a part of the varsity’s Team B where he eventually suited up for the futsal team.

However, after his first year, he had this crazy notion of becoming a dual athlete. And he took the matter up with a guidance counselor. When he was asked what other sport he was interested in, K mentioned “track and field.”

It turned out that one of the schools guidance counselors was the seniors’ athletics coach, Mick Perez.

“It was just a crazy notion,” recalled K. “I was never a good track athlete. In fact, I was terrible. In high school, I used to think that I was fast but I realized that running is an art form and that I needed to re-learn the basics. And what came out of that was – I was not a sprinter.”

Thinking that he had a diamond in the rough, Perez penciled him for the jumping events. “I am always going to remember those moments because I was a mediocre athlete. Like in soccer, I was okay but not the best. And I was terrible at the long jump. I took part in the PATAFA but it didn’t work out for me. I was terrible! So I went to the long jump to the high jump and triple jump and got the hang of it.”

When the Ateneo futsal team was disbanded, K turned his attention to mastering a new sport. Incredibly, he won a gold medal for the high jump in the National Open meet prior to Season 70 of the UAAP. And during the collegiate tournament proper, he bagged a bronze. He amazed even himself. “I came from terrible to become a favorite to win it all,” said K of his unexpected success in the event.

However, the following season, he tied his opposite number from the University of Santo Tomas but since Kuku had more fouls, he was awarded the silver medal.

“Honestly, I felt that I choked.” K admitted. He sat on the stands of the Rizal Memorial disconsolate. And he heard whispers from some teammates that they too thought that he lost the battle of nerves.

He vowed to return the following year and prove himself worthy. Said Perez of the year prior to the recently concluded UAAP Season 72 athletics meet, “K was one of two athletes who was very impressive in their preparations for the competition. He showed an excellent attitude towards training and was remarkably focused all throughout. And the results speak for themselves.”

Unlike the previous year, where K fed off his teammates and supporters’ measured clapping that kept him in rhythm, this time around, he asked for silence to better concentrate at the task at hand. Despite being the favorite to win once more, K faced stiff challenge from a jumper from La Salle who almost matched him jump for jump.

“Everyone started jumping early on to warm up, but I was conserving my energy,” said K who was lost in his headphones listening to Christian music. To calm his nerves, he started with a low height at 170. He easily cleared it then jumped at 175, 180, 185, 190, and finally at 193 all without fouling.

His competitor cleared 190 cm but had fouled numerous times.

The gold was in the bag and he had a chance to make history.

Although he did not make history on the track oval, it was just fine with K. After all, he’s medaled in every year in the UAAP. The real impact he would like to make is in a different and more challenging arena.

Kuku is a man of three countries – Nigeria, Zambia, and the Philippines. He grew up in all three but he has no real roots to call them home. The Philippines is his closest. In fact, he thinks himself more Filipino than Nigerian. As it was about Zambia, he has come face to face with the various social ills in Philippine society. “In Africa, people learn how to read but even if they do, their comprehension isn’t that good. Here it is better but the problems are magnified to a different degree. There is a social calling I cannot ignore.” he noted while pondering his future.

With a degree in Development Studies in hand, he now looks forward to working with a company affiliated with the United Nations or some similar agency where he could help in concrete terms in battling poverty, injustice, hunger, poor health, lack of education, or some other concern.

If there’s anything that he learned about himself, athletics was a way to firm up his resolve. Except this time, it isn’t for the gold medal. The next high jump Itunu Kuku makes is for his fellow man.