We met one of them, Steven Mungandu (ZAM), who was competing today at -66 kg. Now 25 years old, Steven lives in France, where he has been able to join a high level training structure, thanks to an Olympic Solidarity scholarship. France and even more Tashkent, for a few days, is far from his native Zambia, “I was born in Lusaka, the capital. I started judo very young. With my father being a police officer, judo was already part of his life and quickly it became part of mine. I immediately loved the sport and preferred to go to train than to do anything else."
Things are clear, Steven does not envision his life without judo, “I want to be a champion, to be one of those who win medals. Judo is my life, it's everything for me. It has already changed the course of my life and I fully intend this to continue for me and for my family."
This unwavering will has a price, that of having to be alone, “I left my home, far from my family, because that was the condition to pursue my dream. I owe everything to my country, Zambia, because it is there, on the tatami in Lusaka, that I started to appreciate judo. To reach the very high level, I needed to go and see what was beyond the horizon, to gain experience. I always enjoy going back to Zambia to see my family, but I made a choice and for that I only go home once a year."
At 25, making such a choice is not trivial; it is courageous because it is difficult to imagine what it means to find oneself in a country that is not his own, far from his landmarks and his culture. However, this is where the notion of 'judo family' takes on its full significance, “It is certain I am alone. I travel alone, I do not have a coach, but I have a lot of friends who are there to help and support me. On the morning of the competition, I always find someone who is willing to warm up with me. I will not lie to you though, not having a coach at the edge of the tatami, on a day like this in Tashkent, is not easy. I also have friends in the IJF staff who do everything to make sure everything goes well for me and for everyone in my situation. Being alone should not prevent us from moving forward. I also have my national federation in Zambia, which is there for me, I know that."
Participating in a Grand Slam is already an achievement in itself, but that is not what frightens Steven, “I have already participated twice in Croatia and in Düsseldorf as well, as well as in the World Championships in Tokyo. This was all impressive to me. When I arrived in Tashkent, I was still a little impressed, but as soon as I stepped on the tatami I no longer felt the stress. I was ready to fight and give everything I could."
Sometimes there is a gap between dreams and reality. Steven, in his first match, was against a Russian, Aram GRIGORYAN (RUS), which is a guarantee for a tough game and it was. The least we can say is that the African judoka was not unworthy, only bowing to penalties, “I do not yet know exactly how I lost. It was really a 50/50 match. I need to analyse this defeat. What I am sure of is that I will have to work on my attack system. I am still too passive at times and this is probably what cost me the victory today. I still have so much to learn. It is in a competition like that, that the presence of a coach would be important, because he could give me that little extra motivation that I sometimes need."
Motivated, however, we can not say that the young man is not, “I can tell you that I love judo and that it is the most important thing for me. So yes, traveling alone is not always easy, but that's not what will prevent me from accumulating experience; on the contrary. I'm telling you, for me, there is judo and that's all that matters to me."
Steven's attitude commands respect. The man is discreet, polite and respectful. It is certain that he will leave Tashkent without this medal, of which he dreams so much, at least for the moment, but we wish for him that one day he will be one of those victorious ones, seeing their national flag rise at the end of the day. Just to have come to Uzbekistan, to have faced all the difficulties alone again, which the athletes of the larger delegations could not imagine, is a victory in itself.