- Title: Chad pins its first Olympic medal hope on judoka Demos Memneloum
- Date: 15th July 2021
- Summary: N'DJAMENA, CHAD (RECENT - JULY 3, 2021) (REUTERS) CHAD JUDO ATHLETE QUALIFIED FOR THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS, DEMOS MEMNELOUM, TACKLING TRAINING PARTNER ON THE MAT VARIOUS OF MEMNELOUM TRAINING WITH PARTNER VARIOUS OF MEMNELOUM WARMING UP AHEAD OF TRAINING VARIOUS OF MEMNELOUM STRETCHING (SOUNDBITE) (French) CHAD JUDO ATHLETE QUALIFIED FOR THE 2020 TOKYO OLYMPICS, DEMOS MEMNELOUM, SAYING: "To go and get this qualification, I was really, I felt this pressure, I felt pressure from everywhere, from my coach, from my friends, from my family, the entire country counted on me to reach this goal. At the start it was not easy, I was really confused in my head, but as I participated in competitions, I started to climb, I started to get used to it, little by little, and now I'm not as stressed, I'm relaxed actually." MEMNELOUM FOLDING HER KIMONO AT HOME AHEAD OF TRAINING MEMNELOUM GETTING HER SPORTS BAG READY
- Embargoed: 29th July 2021 09:53
- Keywords: Chad Demos Menneloum Judo Olympics
- Location: N'DJAMENA, CHAD
- City: N'DJAMENA, CHAD
- Country: Kenya
- Topics: Africa,Judo,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001ELYAGJJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Demos Memneloum's dream was just to qualify for the Olympics in the sport she loves and she achieved that this year, when the 26-year old became Chad's first ever athlete to qualify for judo through points earned on the tatami instead of an invite.
But as the start of the Tokyo Olympics draws near, pressure is building on her as the only medal hope for the central African nation that has gone through a tumultuous first half of the year following an attack by rebels in the north, and the battle-field death of long-time President Idriss Deby.
"To go and get this qualification, I was really, I felt this pressure, I felt pressure from everywhere, from my coach, from my friends, from my family, the entire country counted on me to reach this goal. At the start it was not easy, I was really confused in my head, but as I participated in competitions, I started to climb, I started to get used to it, little by little, and now I'm not as stressed, I'm relaxed actually," Memneloum told Reuters.
After earning points in competitions including a bronze medal at the 2019 African Championships, and the 2019 All African Games, Memneloum reached 779 points in the International Judo Federation table, placed 48th in the under 70 kg category.
"After this qualification, we can only be happy and satisfied because not only is she proud of herself, but an entire nation Chad is proud of her. So with this qualification, she is competing in Judo, but in the end Chad is winning, so this qualification is for the entire Chadian nation," said her coach Ahmed Djerma Dassering.
Inside a school classroom transformed into a training room with worn-out mats on the floor in the Ardepdjoumal popular district in Chad's capital, Memneloum is the only female training among eight men.
"For these games I need to go forward, I need to do the best I can in order to make good results in the Olympics. Everyone, the entire country is counting on me, everywhere, my friends, everyone is counting on me," Memneloum said, adding that she understand the challenges that awaits her.
The second-year resource management student who was encouraged to joined judo by her father at the age of seven, said that despite the lack of resources for athletes in the heavily indebted nation, she is proud to be the first athlete to qualify.
(Mahamat Ramadane,Christophe Van Der Perre) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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