THE OLYMPICS FAIRYTALE:

THE OLYMPICS FAIRYTALE:

Zimbabwe has currently been on the headlines for the wrong reasons. But anyone who mentions the 1980 summer Olympics never ceases to mention the Zimbabwe all white field hockey team that defied and defined history.

2012 is here and many are looking forward to the London Olympics. The Olympics fever is here and Africa as a continent has had remarkable historical moments at the Olympics. I can go on to talk of the legendary Kipchoge Keino but that is a story for another day.

1980 saw Zimbabwe participate for the first time at the summer Olympic games under the name Zimbabwe from its previous colonial name- Rhodesia.

Despite being the one of the country’s proudest moment, even after her 1980 independence, it is the circumstances that led to the inclusion of Zimbabwe at the Olympics that really baffles many. One of the hockey players then who was the goalie recounted to the BBC in an interview of how they were not even suppose to go to the Olympics in Moscow, but when the American led boycott wiped out most of the field hockey entries, Zimbabwe, the new nation borne out of the turmoil Rhodesia, became a last minute substitute.

Mind you, the invite came 5 weeks before the start of the games and after the rigorous training sessions, no one could have predicted let alone imagine what happened. Zimbabwe swept through 5 games undefeated.

Two identical twins, sandy and sonia Chick both playing for zimabwe and the only identical twins to ever have won gold medals recount how despite being white, they all chanted; “ forward with the rooster,” which is Mugabe’s party slogan in their 4-1 thrashing victory over Austria to bagg the coveted gold medal.

daughters of zimbawe-the twins sandy and sonia

As the Zimbabwe players partied and drank champagne in Moscow, back in Zimbabwe, fans took to the streets singing zulu songs. It did not matter what colour one  was-all that mattered was the unifying factor, a team that had unified both the whites and Africans into one proud nation. When they touched down, the reception at the airport was overwhelming, the twins recall. All that mattered was that they were all proud Zimbabweans together.

And if you thought politics and sports are like water and oil- they do not mix, then you are wrong. Mugabe in a congratulatory telegram to the team, he addressed them as “the daughters of Zimbabwe”. Infact Mugabe went on to urge the country to forget the war struggles and unite. 

And just like the 1980 olympics, the 2012 slogan will remain the same credo for Africa-“ it is not the colour that you go in with, but the one that you comeout with that matters.”