The sporting extravaganza known as the Olympic Games, the quadrennial event when sportsmen and women from all countries of the globe meet to pit “the four Ss” – skills, strength, speed, stamina – against each other is underway in Paris. For slightly over two weeks, the world will watch the drama unfold, on its tv screens – enthralled, even mesmerized (not exaggerating, if you know what happened each time you watched Usain Bolt squat to place his fingertips on the start line of the 100-meter dash) by the feats of skill married to power, endurance and savvy, on display. The sports crazy amongst us will hardly do any meaningful work! We will be utterly distracted as we follow the drama on the track, in the swim pool, in the ring, on the basketball court (how can I miss a South Sudan game now!), or on the road (marathon). Imagine being a Kenyan and trying to put in any work when either Ferdinand Omanyala, Emmanuel Wanyonyi (the heir apparent to the marvelous David Rudisha), Mary Moraa, Faith Kipyegon, and many others, are competing. I can’t either. I for instance look forward with much anticipation to the 100-meter final this year, when an African has a real shot at winning the event for the first time in Olympic history. That would be South Africa’s Akani Simbine. No my Kenyan friends, it won’t be Omanyala, even with his reputation as Africa’s fastest man. Omanyala somehow fails to bring his A game when faced with the best, and only Simbine consistently beats the Americans and Jamaicans – the best in the sprints – at their game. Another guy I root for that has a real shot at bringing Africa glory in the sprints is Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga. The reigning Commonwealth Games 400m champion is a ferocious competitor that runs his heart out. It isn’t unusual to see him heaving and vomiting after crossing the finish line. Muzala literally leaves everything on the field! One thing you can count on is that Kenyan, Ethiopian and Ugandan athletes will dominate the distance running. As for the dozens of other disciplines – swimming, gymnastics (both artistic and rhythmic), archery, rowing, weightlifting, (even boxing at which a few African countries have done relatively well in the past), or the more technically demanding track and field disciplines like pole vaulting, hurdling, and more – you can expect the African teams to win zero medals (of any color). Specifically, sub-Saharan African teams. Which raises the perennial question: why has Africa been so good at producing (distance) runners at the Olympics – starting with the great Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia at the 1960 games – but so poor at everything else? It’s a mix of factors starting with the continent’s status as the least developed region, economically and technologically, as well as most other indicators by which human well-being is measured. How a country performs at the Olympics, its total haul of medals at the conclusion of the games, is a reliable measure of where it stands on the world’s developmental table. The most industrialized, economically powerful, technologically advanced states will, without fail, have the biggest medal hauls. The most economically developed countries compete so fiercely – think the US and China – because each medal won is a store of bragging rights, for the next four years. Political ideologies will be measured in a nation’s collection of gold, silver and bronze medals. In this context, sport is very serious business, with the most successful countries identifying, and nurturing talent in the littlest kids. Their athletes will have benefitted from a support network that begins right from childhood in countless middle-class homes; that extends to good sport infrastructure from the lowest levels of school; and on to the universities, or professional sports outfits that boast budgets some countries would be envious of. All along the way, the rich world’s sports talent will have benefited from a whole slew of sport management professionals, graduates of sport science programs from top schools that in turn have the latest technologies, in any of their fields, at their disposal. Contrast that with sub-Sahara’s situation and, well, matters speak for themselves. Where Africa succeeds is in disciplines that, however scientific the approach, won’t do much to give athletes an edge. All a Kenyan, Ethiopian or Ugandan distance runner needs is a good pair of lungs (researchers have attributed environmental and climatic factors for that), a pair of shoes (however old), and a disciplined dedication to training, and they are all set. They are ready to beat the world. But there is something we as Rwanda can do to win medals at future Olympics. (In fact, as someone very knowledgeable about sport, I’am giving some free advice to our Ministry of sport). Well as it is good to try to develop football, basketball, cycling, swimming, or even track and field, I think it will take a while before we can qualify for the Olympics for some of these (basketball, football), or our athletes getting anywhere near the best times. I am only stating reality. But let’s think of the less glamorous sports, say shooting, archery, rowing, to name but a few. Now, think of one example. If the Rwanda Defense Force and Rwanda National Police were given the instruction (and budgets) to develop first class marksmen and women to represent us at the Games in air pistol and rifle shooting, how long do you think it would take before the Rwanda national anthem is sung at Olympic medal ceremonies? It wouldn’t be long at all. We have very good marksmen in our armed forces. The same applies with archery, and other disciplines we would strategically choose to exploit. All it would need would be sustained budgets and good management. Food for thought.
