Olympic Games: Cameroonian weightlifting, a fragile heritage
Cameroonian Jeanne Eyenga at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. REUTERS - EDGARD GARRIDO
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
5 mins
At the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, Cameroon is still well represented in weightlifting, with Jeanne Eyenga (-76kg) and Clémentine Meukeugni Noumbissi (-87kg).
The Central African country is the only one on the continent with Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria to be present almost systematically at the Olympics for thirty years, thanks to a long but fragile tradition.
Publicity
Read more
From our special correspondent in Tokyo,
What do Cyrille Tchatchet, member of the refugee team at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, Bernardin Matam and Gaëlle Nayo-Ketchanke, who represent France during these Olympics, and Jeanne Eyenga as well as Clémentine Meukeugni Noumbissi, of the delegation have in common? Cameroonian?
They are all children of Cameroonian weightlifting.
For nearly thirty years, Cameroon has been the only country in sub-Saharan Africa to have almost systematically had weightlifting representatives at the Olympics.
And, on the continent, only Algeria has done better with an uninterrupted presence since the 1992 Olympics.
“
Cameroon is a land of weightlifting
,” explains Constantin Enama, coach of the women's team, present in Tokyo.
In Cameroon, young people love everything related to physical condition, bodybuilding work, strength.
So, through weightlifting, they discover a discipline that leads them to express themselves and assert themselves
”.
The Matams, an influential dynasty
According to Constantin Enema, it was around the first African Games (1965) that weightlifting began to take shape in Cameroon, with a real federation in its own right.
"One
thing leading to another, weightlifting has made its way there and has managed to get out of the game
".
The titles then followed one another, at the African Championships and the African Games.
A family has greatly contributed to the development of this discipline, in a country that swears only by football.
These are the Matams, a very large family (14 brothers and sisters, according to various press articles), four of whom took part in the Olympics: Alphonse, Samson, David and Bernardin, therefore.
A dynasty whose ramifications innervate a significant part of Cameroonian weightlifting, even today.
As evidenced by the presence of Jeanne Eyenga at the Tokyo Games.
“
I am also from the Matam family
,” explains the 22-year-old African champion in the under 76 kg category.
With us, weightlifting is passed down from father to son and now it continues until the little children
”.
The talent drain
Despite this long tradition, Cameroonian weightlifting struggles to keep its greatest talents.
Changes in sporting nationality are an illustration of this, with Vencelas Dabaya, who was Cameroon's flag bearer at the 2004 Olympics but silver medalist with France in 2008.
However, Constantine Enema does not throw stones at his compatriots, who have left to defend the colors of more affluent countries.
"
It is first and foremost the search for well-being that motivates them
," he said.
It's not because they don't like their country.
I think they are great patriots.
But the search for good living and training conditions contributed to this great bloodletting.
We deplore this situation.
It is very difficult to curb this growing problem
”.
"We have no suitable equipment, no suitable room"
Even for a young woman of Jeanne Eyenga's talent, everyday life is not easy.
“
The conditions are very, very difficult in Cameroon, especially in our sport.
We have no suitable equipment, no suitable room.
But it's okay, we're fighting.
If we were able to qualify for the Olympics, it is because we can go far.
"
For the medals, however, we will have to wait.
Cameroon won bronze at the 2016 Olympics with Madias Nzesso but no podium at the World Championships.
This confirms his status as a producer of talents, above all.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Olympic Games
2020 Olympics
Sports
Cameroon