The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
FORGOTTEN!
This is how the man who lifted the country’s flag at the first Olympics attended by an independent Zimbabwe describes himself and many other sporting legends.
“It has always stood as a proud moment for me. I was chosen to lift the Zimbabwe flag at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. That honour has stood out for me and remains the highlight of a decent athletics career.
“But sadly like most athletes of my era we are forgotten by even our own sports code. We are struggling with life, wishing sports authorities could drop in and give us seed capital to start income generation projects to fend for ourselves,” said athletics legend Abel Nkhoma in an interview from his Bindura base on Friday.
He said it was painful that there were youngsters who wanted to tap in from his experience but he cannot afford to travel to training venues.
His pension payout after quitting employment on medical grounds is a measly $1000 from the Mining Industry Pension Fund and as much from the National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
“Only a miracle keeps me and many others going. Life is very difficult for us pensioners. I wish I could afford to go and share with the future generation what I gained from the sport,” said Nkhoma.
Nkhoma has worked with athletes such as Mike Fokorani, Manonoko Masiyiwa and Julia Sakala.
“There are so many athletes I worked with after retiring in 1994 who I coached to prominence through the Chamber of Mines,” said Nkhoma.
He described the collapse of mines as a catastrophe to Zimbabwean sport.
“Mines were the cornerstone of Zimbabwe sport and the Chamber of Mines Championships must be re-introduced gradually with the involvement of those few mines that can afford. As the situation improves on the economic end, many more can always come on board,” said Nkhoma, a Matopos 33 Miler legend with over three triumphs and several top five finishes.
Born in Cam and Motor (Rio Tinto in Kadoma) on 3 December 1961, Nkhoma attended primary school there.
“I was never anywhere near the sports fields during those days. My focus was singing, I was part of the choir and I enjoyed it,” said Nkhoma.
For his secondary school he went to Mutorashanga where he would not finish because of the untimely death of his stepfather forcing him to return to Cam and Motor Mine.
He started running in 1976, doing it for fun every morning until he met legend Musaope Phiri, winner of over a dozen marathons in Zimbabwe.
Phiri too was part of the Moscow Olympics Zimbabwe contingent.
“I then started running with Phiri who was older and more experienced who would introduce me to the mine’s Harry Stobbart who was the club coach at Cam and Motor.
“My first race was 16km Kamfisa Road Race in Harare in 1977 and I was second and there begun my long journey in the sport. The winner was Ronnie Hill who came from the UK and third sport went to an athlete from Mhangura,” said Nkhoma.
Sadly for their sweat those days there was no prizemoney and one was lucky to get a voucher or hamper. He earned himself a tracksuit for doing well in the Kamfisa race.
His next race was a near disaster. He finished ninth in the OK Half Marathon. He said he was not disheartened by his poor finish but felt the urge to work harder.
He was to run almost two dozens of races between 1977 and 1979 with one memorable one being the Trojan Mine 21km in which he finished second behind the legendary Tapfumaneyi Jonga.
Nkhoma paid tribute to athletics greats of that era Zephaniah Ncube, Jonga, Phiri, Lazwell Ngoma and Kenias Tembo.
“The track athletes were just as good in terms of competitiveness as their counterparts in road running,” he said.
Rio Tinto gave Nkhoma a job and he had the comfort of running for the mine knowing there was bread on the table for the family at the end of the day.
“So with participating in the Chamber of Mines, athletes were assured of jobs. That was the biggest motivation for us,” said Nkhoma.
Abel Nkhoma
He won the prized Matopos 33 Miler on three consecutive occasions from 1978. In 1979 he had a first taste of international competition finishing second in a full marathon in Swaziland. But the 1980 Matopos 33 Miler came with probably his biggest win, a ticket to take part in the Comrades Marathon for which he had his first airplane ride.
Unknown to him his efforts and potential had caught national selectors and he was literally forced to go to Moscow for the Olympics.
“With winning the Matopos carrying a prize of flying to Durban to run the Comrades in June. Little did I know I was in the list of those selected for Moscow (Russia). After running 89km I was sapped of all the energy and my body needed to rest for several months before another big race.
“The authorities said I would not be left out for Zimbabwe’s first participation. I was given the honours to be the flag bearer there,” said Nkhoma, who would later finish the Moscow Marathon in a position outside the top 200 which he has even forgotten.
“My body was tired, was worn out from the Swaziland Marathon which I had done in 2 hours 27 minutes, the 33 Miler and Comrades all within a calendar year,” said the athlete who represented Zimbabwe in other international events especially the regional marathons involving countries from the Sadc with relative success.
“We ran for fun and for our jobs. There was no prizemoney at all when we started. In the Chamber of Mines we were given blankets for first position, second had shirts while third assured one of a pair of stockings. Nowadays road runners are professionals making a living from running without even worrying about a mine to employ them,” said Nkhoma, a widower with two sons left after two other kids, girls died.
Nkhoma believes hard work with discipline pays off in athletics and prays for things to get better or to at least get a sponsor to fund him so that he can help develop talent in Bindura.
Over the years he has been one of Mashonaland Central’s coaches at the Zimbabwe Youth Games. Nkhoma is among hundreds of forgotten arts, culture and sporting heroes living from hand to mouth.
