“Olympic athletes reported missing” … “Missing Cameroonian athletes may be looking for greener pastures”… “Officials ask for help finding 7 olympic athletes missing”…"La disparition des athletes camerounais, une trahison”…
I tried to avoid this post because I didn’t want to partake in what I think is just some useless frenzy; I wanted to stick to my usual “save the poached elephants” posts, but after almost two weeks of continuous news media harassment, my fingers refuse to stay idle. I know you have heard, laughed, empathized, criticized, or even written about it. There is a spike in creativity for making jokes about this situation: “they didn’t flee, they were kidnapped”; “no, the eighth one just went to fetch the seven others”; “Cameroon, golden medal for desertion”…Mouah haha! 
Since the story broke, some people hitherto unsuspected oratorical skills emerged. In taxis, sport clubs, on social media platforms;,online magazines and newspapers……everyone talked / is talking about it, from people who ‘know’ Cameroonians to people who can’t even tell in which continent Cameroon is located. If you missed it, it may be that you are locked out from the rest of the world on a 24/7 basis, completely cut from the rest of us, or it may just be that you are living in another dimension.
I won’t elaborate on what official reports said. I just want to express my amazement when I notice how quickly many people jumped to conclusions, sharing their thinking with the rest of the world and aiming a negative light beam to add a country’s already tarnished reputation. Still, it is a country which I am proud to be from, a country full of sports talents, a country with its problems just like any other country in the world, a country with athletes who, despite the situation created by their alleged fleeing, should still be given the benefit of the doubt, considering the principle of presumption of innocence and the fact that their visas are valid until November.
Though I will concede that the Olympic village was build specifically to house athletes, it is not, to my knowledge, some kind of prison from which no athlete must ‘escape’. Any person who did a little bit of competition, regardless of the level, can understand that the last thing one wants to do after being eliminated, is to stay and watch other people compete in the following rounds. Yes, I agree that they went there as a group and were supposed to return together in case of defeat. But for them, what would the advantage of being part of the national Olympic selection be, especially for those that may not get another opportunity in during their career to represent Cameroon internationally? I, personally, can’t blame them for wanting to indulge their curiosity, to get a good taste of a big city like London, which is different from anything they know in Cameroon in so many ways.
The thing is, their story got so big that even if they didn’t have in mind to run away, their identities have been revealed and their reputation effectively ruined. Their mug shots, similar to those of vulgar criminals have taken the Internet by storm. It is hard to see at this point how they could get that shot at living better lives in “greener pastures” if they still choose to remain illegally in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere in the European Union. The Cameroonian Authorities have already requested the help of British Immigration Authorities to repatriate them and I think it’s pretty safe to say that none of them would ever be able to obtain permanent resident status; but even worse, I think their athletic careers are definitely over, and this gives them an incentive to try and remain in Europe at all costs, with a very hard life in perspective for them.
I can’t blame the rest of the world for laughing at them, or suggesting reasons for desertion, but I can’t take it when our people (Cameroonians) idiotically join the ‘fun’. Cameroonians hold the Gold medal for ridiculing, for judging and making fun of people; but the truth is, in a case like this one, engaging in such behavior is very destructive.
If indeed, those athletes fled, the confirmation will come soon enough. November is not that far, people. I just hope some of them will choose to go back home in the end, but if they don’t, may be we should try and see that act of ‘desertion’ for what it is: the cry of distress of young people whose conception of happiness is a life away from home. And to those among my fellow citizens who spend their time criticizing our athletes’ performances, by all means, next time, just replace them and show us some ‘real’ accomplishments.
Just heard that the 5 boxers sought asylum. "Info ou Intox" ? O_o We’ll see
From Pretoria To The World,
Let’s keep moving!
Ivy.
CAM do not own copyright to any to the photographs featured in this post
Like BAM! in ur face !! Proud to be part of the 237Team, even in our "Ndem", even without medal. Hopefully things will get better for them. Love it ! #IvyNumberOneFan #Team237
ooorh! Killjoy de me
lol thanks.
I just want them to give us a break, Et meme si ils ont fuit, ca fait quoi? tsuiiiip
En tout cas, j’ai pousse’ mon coup de gueule. I feel better now
I just wrote something about that on my Facebook Page…
First , it was funny , but now , the faces of these guys are so presents on Internet that im pretty sure that , it will soon be difficult for them to find a job or something like that…yes its ridiculous , yes its a shame , but for God sake , stop stupidly mocking at them and think forward… insult them on the internet will not bring them back..or re-up your country’s image…maybe they are father , grand-son or mother. And see the good side ; they never stole your money to go on Holiday in England…NE VOUS TROMPEZ PAS DE COMBAT.
Good to know that there are some people who actually think like me! Thanks, Loic! Some people are always ready to judge and even ‘help’ to remove the straw in their neighbors’ eye. Without even knowing why X and Y did what they did.
I will not blame any one because shame is on the both side.
Government after 50 years is not able to build good olympics stadium.
All my wish is that my felow travellers or whatever succeed in their new project because progress always involves risks
Amen!
We’re used to being the laughing stalk of the world. I can live with that. But for the fact that most holier than thou Cameroonians join the fun is just plain .. *thinks* what’s the word … FUCKERY. *nodding* Yea i said it. Personally I don’t care about the circumstances sorrounding the Escape-From-Alcatraz-esque scheme. Cuz this seemingly isolated event is a shameful reflection of the gloomy bigger picture.That we actually are poor. It’s easy for people sitting in the comfort of their air-conditioned rooms and luxury cars to throw condescending remarks at these athletes. Let’s get TF down from our high horses and be pragmatic. Understand that this was a life chance oppurtunity that showed to some individuals that were probably getting on a plane for the first time: to change their lives and their families. It is so easy to report from the outside,in. Walk a mile in their shoes. Then feel their pain. Then we’ll understand not to blame them, but to blame our sorry asses for condoning the status quo.
U said it better than I would ever say it. WALK A MILE IN THEIR SHOES!!!
hummm… c’est le fun que vous voulez voir?!! j’apprécie le retournement que tu fais à travers ton article Ivy et je suis d’accord avec toi que ces athlètes ont déjà été suffisamment trainés dans la boue alors qu’ils ne sont même pas encore en infraction! lol On pensait à quoi quand on leur donnait des visas jusqu’en novembre? et comme si ça ne suffit pas, les conditions qui entourent la compétition sont tellement aberrantes que même moi j’aurai eu envie de déserter. C’est pour tout ça que F.M ne s’est pas trop cassée et est go signée sa new nationalité ailleurs!!! On ne peut être juge de qui que ce soit, tant que chacun est prêt à assumer (et je parle là de toutes les parties concernées par cette affaire), le reste est négligeable.
huuuummm encore un article à l’image de Creative and Moving!!!
Merci Winyv….Totalement d’accord avec toi! Ca m’amuse de voir ‘certaines personnes’ ouvrir leurs jolies bouches pour critiquer le ‘cherchement’ des autres. Facile de critiquer quand on ne vit pas dans un ‘sous-quartier’ avec une famille a sa charge!
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Please, stay tuned and thanks for the feedback!
Personnellement, je ne crois pas que c’etait une erreur de prevenir que des athletes ont deserte sans laisser de trace. Soyons clairs, je ne suis pas "pour" tout le debat mediatique que cette revelation a entraine, mais si les encadreurs or whoever n’avaient pas prevenu et avaient attendu jusqu’en novembre, cette affaire leur serait retomber sur le dos. On leur aurait demande pourquoi ils n’en avaient pas parle quand ils s’etaient rendu compte que some athletes were missing.
A la place de ces encadreurs, qu’est ce vous auriez fait? J’aimerais bien savoir. On trouve des excuses aux athletes qui ont fui (ou decide de faire un peu de tourisme) mais on ne voit pas leur propre responsabilite dans cette affaire.je crois qu’ils sont assez grands pour reflechir, peser le pour et le contre avant d’agir, et ils savaient que le fait de partir sans prevenir aurait des retombees plus tard. Ou bien ils ne savaient pas qu’on allait remarquer leur absence?
je crois que dans cette affaire, les encadreurs ont joue leur role. Le silence n’allait pas ameliorer les choses. Et nous ne connaissons pas les dessous de l’affaire. S’ils ont decide de parler,c ‘est que peut etre ils savaient que ces athletes camerounais n’avaient pas en tete de rentrer.
Sur ces points je suis d’accord avec toi, Emy. C’est bien qu’ils aient pense’ a prevenir. Mais c’est la maniere dont les choses ont ete handled qui me deplait. Dire que les athletes ont quitte’ le village olympique, mais que leurs visa sont en regle pour le moment aurait ete plus diplomatique. Mais des le debut, on les traitait de fugitifs, on demandait l’aide de la police pour les rechercher etc. Les blagues vaseuses se retrouvaient deja sur internet,et meme les raisons pour lesquelles ils avaient ‘deserte’ etaient deja etabli. Personne ne leur trouve d’excuse. Comme tu as dit, ils sont assez grands et savaient parfaitement ce qu’ils faisaient. Mais leur comportement traduit aussi l’etat de depression dans lequel notre pays se trouve aujourd’hui. Et c’est bizarre de voir que les premiers a se plaindre de cette desertion font partie de ceux qui y ont contribue’.Merci pour ton commentaire, Emy.
Ils voulaient faire un tournage de Prison Break a la camerounaise.
En tout cas, le monde entier a eu les yeux rives sur nous. Dommage que ce soit dans des circonstances pareilles.