With big white rockstar sunglasses which he never removes not even for a second, the champion Gillias makes his come back after a season in which his job a bricklayer kept him away from the Never Give Up of last year. A slow start for Gillias, but when the Senior group reaches the starting point of the Junior his fantastic catch up among the loud cheering of the young ones ‘Giko, Giko’. A triumphant comeback which makes him conquer the first place.
The Kunda brothers and sister are the strength of this first race of the 14th edition of the NGU, Emanuel Kunda first Junior Boy followed by Joe Malambo, son of coach Ernest who cannot stop smiling proudly of the podium of Joe, Patience Kunda first Junior Girl followed by Joyce Malambo and Stella Siamwinda, Abraham Kunda fourth Senior Man just after John Tembo third, Sydney Mweemba second and Gillias Nangwala first.
Change of category for the two Junior Girls of the last edition, Mercy Kapempe and Ramona Muyoya, who reach the first and third place, second Milika Muweswa. It is very common in the Never Give Up for the Junior champions when moving up to the Senior category to rout the older ones and conquer the podium. Ramona was worried of the category change, in reality she tried to hide among the Juniors but the coach did not bend to her cries. Age cheating in Zambia, and in Africa, is the rule in sport and it is often accepted if not supported by coaches and athletes.
Once again the female categories are a minority. It is an aspect of sport in which we want and we have to work a lot, girls are not considered ‘athletes’ as much as the male friends. Women in sport are not accepted by the families and society in general mainly in the poorer rural areas does not support the role of women outside the family. At every edition we ‘lose’ female athletes for reparative or forced weddings. Who follows the Never Give Up will remember Ruth Kapempe, Junior champion in 2010 and Senior champion in 2011 and 2012. I notice her absence and ask the coach: ‘she has been sent to the bush to marry’ he tells me, the coach explains to me that shortly before last year edition she was sent ‘on show’ to the family of the future husband and came back no longer herself, stopped training and lost focus. Not yet sixteen, she will not finish school and she finds herself child-bride in a fixed marriage forced by the family. I think to her proud smile when at her second race as a Senior in 2011 one hundred meter before the arrival of the Mungu round she sprints ahead and overtakes the then champion Dorothy conquering the first place, I think of that smile and a deep sadness and angers overcomes me. We have to fight for these athletes, I think, invest in sport for girls, promote women’s emancipation starting for sport, sport which is for all … men and women.