Let the games begin

"No citizen has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever having discovered the strength and beauty of which his body is capable." - Socrates

BY DEBI JEANS

HARARE - On the back of the hugely suc


cessful Charity International EcoChallenge (Hippo Pools) and the Africa Triathlon Championships (Troutbeck, Nyanga), the Zone 6 International Judo Championships were hosted by Zimbabwe on Easter Saturday. Six countries fought it out for the medal honours and for the first time in 10 years, we were able to field a full team!
Comprising members from the police support unit, high school young men and a few of our full-time national coaches, they gave their all and more against the “big guns” from South Africa, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique and Botswana. For most, it was their first time to step onto an international mat – but despite the obvious stress that this causes, they squared their shoulders, lifted their heads and looked their opponents in the eye as they put it all on the line.
Their hunger for this experience left me humbled again. We have watched most of these men struggle to get enough money to pay for transport to get to training and to just eat at least one decent meal a day. For just over a year they have committed to the fitness tests, the training, the regular small competitions and national rankings.
Here they were, no excuses, no insecurities, no delusions, simply desperately wanting to pit themselves against as many opponents as possible to test their limits and discover their personal bests. As a referee, I had the unpleasant experience of awarding the fight to the other side with two of our team members in a matter of seconds into the five-minute fight … they had been thrown for a “knock – out”.
My heart sank for them, but they got straight back up, bowed to the winner and walked across to shake his hand and thank him for the fight!
I remember someone once said “The measure of a man is not where he stands in times of victory and comfort, but how he conducts himself in times of defeat and hardship.” This also goes for the very small band of organisers and coaches who dug deep into their own pockets, time and personal lives to bring our squad this far, often overcoming seemingly hopeless situations to do it.
In all we won four silver and four bronze medals … but most importantly, as athletes, officials and supporters from all the countries stood for our National Anthem at the opening ceremony, our whole Zimbabwe team stood side-by-side and lifted their voices as they sang the words together. My son was one of them.
Words fall short of describing his experience over this last year training, competing, laughing, winning some, losing some, staying in camp, fighting whilst the Zim supporters and fellow fighters went beserk cheering him on flying the flag and drumming out Shona war cries.
Sitting opposite all this I caught a glimpse of the future. No colour, no race issues. Only a deep respect and friendship for having struggled together, being there for each other through good and bad times and finally, for the opportunity to stand as one in the pursuit of personal and national excellence.
Thank God for sport. Thank God for bringing these athletes to the arena where each is able to watch as the other dares to better himself. Stripped of everything save the man himself, his essence and his being exposed for all to see as he steps forward to reveal his true self. In doing so, we are all too aware of the common potential, principles and fears that we all share. Supported, uplifted and unconditionally accepted, the whole becomes stronger through the sum of all the individual parts. The community stronger through the individual investment we make on each other and ourselves.
I salute all who strive against the greatest of odds to continue to attract, encourage and ensure that Zimbabweans of all ages, backgrounds, potentialities and abilities are able to reveal themselves to themselves and in doing so, contribute towards and be a part of the building of a brother or sisterhood, a team, a community, a nation. No matter how small, how spontaneous or how relatively insignificant it may seem, if you have the power, a few resources and simply the passion to bring more than one person together through sport, through group participation in exercise, through the freedom of movement towards a common goal, do it. For you, for them, for us, for the future.

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