Mboma, the name on everyone’s lips
By Michael Uugwanga
UNCLE to Olympic-bound sprinting sensation Christine Mboma has said that the Mboma name is now the talk of Mbwata village in Kavango East, following Mboma’s gold medal win in the women 200m race on Saturday, at the World Athletics Continental Tour in Madrid, Spain.
Mboma attended her primary education at Shinyungwe Combined School in Mbwata while growing up under the watchful eye of her uncle Joseph.
Mboma has two sisters that are still living with her uncle at Mbwata village.
Record-breaking Mboma has been on a roll and clocked 22.
79 seconds on Saturday, a remarkable feat for a teenager that just turned 18 last month.
Mboma’s best friend, Beatrice Masilingi (18) also made the country proud on June 20 in Poland when she won the women 400m race in a time of 49.
88 seconds.
Speaking to Confidente Sport this week, Joseph said he is over the moon following his niece’s recent success saying that whenever he leaves the house, people at the village keep asking after the athlete.
“I am very happy for her. I am always in communication with her through WhatsApp messages.
The community here at the village and in Rundu is just talking about Christine. Even in other regions. Every day I am smiling as I am very proud of her.”
Meanwhile, Christine told Confidente Sport that she will continue to improve after playing down talks that she is one of the favourites to win a medal at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Japan.
Despite breaking two records in April this year in the 400m, first in Lusaka, Zambia with a time of 49:24, before making history again at the National Athletics Championship in Windhoek when she clocked 49:22; and setting a new world junior record, Mboma also played down reports that she is the fastest women on earth.
“My race was great and I am happy with my performance. Talking about the Olympics which is a senior event and my first Olympics, I will just go there and do my best and not to say I will bring gold or whatever medal because most of those athletes who have qualified, all of them are fast, so I will just go there and do my best.
I cannot say that I am the fastest in the world, but I can say that I am the fastest in my country,” said Mboma.