Captain Barbara
By Dickson Jere
Captain Barbara Banda is a multi-talented athlete. She is a boxer. She is a footballer. And she is also a Judoka! A very rare combination of sports talent in one…
Her team suffered an unexpected defeat last week in Ndola in the first leg of the Olympic Games Qualifier against Morocco. In the pouring rains, she rallied her teammates together in prayer and focus for the return leg. She encouraged them not to relent – emphasizing the point that Zambia could beat Morocco in Rabat same way the team was beaten at home turf. Tough talking captain!
Alfred Foloko is President of Judo. But also doubles as President of the National Olympic Committee of Zambia (NOCZ). After the Ndola defeat, we went to meet the girls at the hotel. The atmosphere was gloomy after losing at home before the full stadium of chanting fans.
“Barbara, you are a Judoka, what is the first thing you learn in Judo,” Foloko asked the hypothetical question to the Captain as her teammates all turned the focus on her.
Before she could respond, Foloko provided the answer.
“We are taught to fall on the mat (tatami) and then risen again as the first lesson,” he said, urging the team to pick that lesson and use it in football during the return leg in Rabat.
And like a Judoka who has fallen, the team rose from the Mat and won the return match by 2-0. No mean achievement…thank you to the leadership of Captain Barbara. She looked in command and authoritatively so!
I salute her and the team.
Kudos to all those that played a role in making sure the team won. Government, NOCZ, FAZ and fans alike…
I am also glad that the Women team has joined other sports codes that received financial scholarships from Olympic Solidarity by delivering positive results!
