It is a race against the clock, time is running short – the pandemic has disrupted everything except the athletes’ ambition. After the preparations for the Tokyo Olympics in April 2021 stopped, due to the first state of emergency decree due to the novel coronavirus, the athletes resumed their work in June. After all, it is a high-performance competition, but now it’s also a high-risk one.
The return of sporting activity in Mozambique, especially of professional athletes, was authorized by the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, in May, as part of the easing of the state of emergency measures, recom- mending measures such as individual training in closed environments and avoiding physical contact.
Athletes state that it isn’t easy to work in these conditions, taking into consideration the level of care they have to comply with. However, the focus is on reaching the level that will allow them to compete at the same pace with other athletes in Tokyo. These are athletes from sailing and canoeing, boxing, beach volleyball, judo, taekwondo, track, and swimming, who hope to represent the country in the next Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, with five athletes – three in sailing and canoeing, and two in boxing – having already qualified.
Two months after resuming training, athletes are confident that it is possible to achieve the previously set goals. “We want to compete on an equal level with other athletes in Tokyo and bring medals to Mozambique,” Maria Machava, a sailing athlete, states. Without objection, sailors Deyse Nhaquile and Denise Parruque maintain that “at this moment, the training has been meticulous, so that our participation brings good results. We are training hard and doing our best.”
Lucas Sinoia, boxer Rady Gramane’s coach, who already qualified, also believes that, with the resumption of the preparation work, the objectives initially outlined are also reestablished. However, Lucas Sinoia considers that the deficit in logistics could compromise the plans, since, until now, work has been going at the expense of the athletes’ personal effort. “We haven’t yet received any support, we are working at our own expense,” he reveals.
For now, the Olympic Committee of Mozambique guarantees that it has established all the biosafety conditions. According to the secretary-general, Penalva César, conditions are also created for all federations to ensure that their members are transported safely. So far, it is unclear how much will be invested for the presence of national athletes at the Tokyo Olympic Games, in terms of logistics, from training to the last stage of competition. However, the news is that the Olympic Committee of Mozambique recently award- ed Olympic scholarships to three athletes, with the aim of ensuring the improvement of the preparatory work towards Tokyo. According to the Olympic Committee, with these Olympic solidarity grants, the athletes covered will receive an amount of US$ 750 per month over a year.
Text: Hermenegildo Langa
Photo: Ricardo Franco
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