[Elia]

Forty years ago(now 44), Akhwari represented Tanzania in the marathon of the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. Although he injured his leg, he persisted till the last moment of the marathon, and this act won him the respect of the world. At that event, he said that he was 7,000 miles from his country. He came here, not just to listen to the sound of the starting gun, but to finish the race. His words inspired people.

[Elia]

In the 1968 Mexico City Olympic games, a young African runner from Tanzania, named John Stephen Akhwari, would compete in the last event of the games – the 26 mile, 385 yard marathon. Although he would ultimately finish last, nearly an hour behind the rest of the runners, he would nonetheless finish the race and in doing so deliver a finish that will be remembered long after the winner has been forgotten. He did all of this in spite of taking a bad fall early in the race. After he fell he got up and carried on anyway, running on a badly injured leg and knowing full well that he was then out of the competition. The other runners reached the finish line nearly an hour before Akhwari would finally approach the stadium. The stadium, by this time, was nearly empty. Yet, when Akhwari entered the stadium the crowd rose to their feet and cheered. Photographers scrambled to set up cameras they had long stowed away, barely managing to capture one of the greatest finishes in Olympics history. After the race a reporter questioned Akhwari – “Why did you go on, you knew you couldn’t win, why didn’t you just quit?”
Looking puzzled by this question Akhwari paused for a moment, and then relied simply: “I don’t think you understand.”

“My people did not send 5000 miles to start the race, they sent me 5000 miles to FINISH they race!”

[Ehud]

Watu wa hivi hawapo tena Tanganyika!

[St. Paka Mweusi]

Watu wa hivi hawapo tena Tanganyika!

Mkuu nitatofautiana na wewe kwa hili,nina imani kuwa wtu wa hivi bado wapo wengi sana ila utaratibu wa kuwapata watu wa hivi ndio haupo...

[Ehud]

Mkuu nitatofautiana na wewe kwa hili,nina imani kuwa wtu wa hivi bado wapo wengi sana ila utaratibu wa kuwapata watu wa hivi ndio haupo...

Kutokupatikana kwao ndiko kunakonifanya niseme hawapo! Kwani enzi za mwalimu ilikuwaje wakawa wanapatikana?

[St. Paka Mweusi]

Kutokupatikana kwao ndiko kunakonifanya niseme hawapo! Kwani enzi za mwalimu ilikuwaje wakawa wanapatikana?

Enzi za mwalimu kulikuwa na utaratibu mzuri wa kuwapata wanamichezo kwa kuwa na mashindano ya ngazi za chini mpaka kufikia Taifa,labda nikuulize ulishawasikia(TOC) wakitangaza mashindano ya kutafuta washiriki wa michezo ya Olympic..?Lakini ukweli ni kuwa tunao watu wengi sana wanaoweza kutuwakilisha,tatizo ni kuwa hatuna mfumo wa kuendeleza vipaji..

[Ehud]

Enzi za mwalimu kulikuwa na utaratibu mzuri wa kuwapata wanamichezo kwa kuwa na mashindano ya ngazi za chini mpaka kufikia Taifa,labda nikuulize ulishawasikia(TOC) wakitangaza mashindano ya kutafuta washiriki wa michezo ya Olympic..?Lakini ukweli ni kuwa tunao watu wengi sana wanaoweza kutuwakilisha,tatizo ni kuwa hatuna mfumo wa kuendeleza vipaji..

Kwa hiyo mkuu itabidi tu ukubaliane na mimi kuwa hao watu hawapo

[Remote]

"Mchawi ni bayi na wenzake" gidabuday

[St. Paka Mweusi]

Kwa hiyo mkuu itabidi tu ukubaliane na mimi kuwa hao watu hawapo

Mkuu ujue mimi ni mbishi sina mfano na hapa labda tukubaliane kutofautiana lakini bado nasisitiza kuwa hawa watu wapo,kawaida utasema kitu hakipo kama umekitafuta na kukikosa lakini huwezi kusema hakipo wakati hujakitafuta,siwezi kuamini kama dogo mmoja aliyeshinda medali ya dhahabu(nimesahau kidogo jina la nchi yenyewe) wakati nchi yake idadi ya watu haizidi 50,000 nchi nzima ameishinda Tanzania yenye watu zaidi ya 40,000,000..Tukiweka utaratibu mzuri wa kutafuta washiriki watapatikana tu..

[Elia]

Sasa hivi waTz wengi wanafikiria jinsi ya "kupiga" swala la sifa na historia wamelipoteza kabisa.. usishangae ukawapatia watu ambao ni viongozi na wasimamizi wa mchezo fulani pesa ya kufadhili mchezo huo wao wanatia ndani au tunasema "wanapiga" na hata mtu akipewa kitengo kitu cha kwanza anafikiria maeneo loose ya kujichotea

[Ehud]

Mkuu ujue mimi ni mbishi sina mfano na hapa labda tukubaliane kutofautiana lakini bado nasisitiza kuwa hawa watu wapo,kawaida utasema kitu hakipo kama umekitafuta na kukikosa lakini huwezi kusema hakipo wakati hujakitafuta,siwezi kuamini kama dogo mmoja aliyeshinda medali ya dhahabu(nimesahau kidogo jina la nchi yenyewe) wakati nchi yake idadi ya watu haizidi 50,000 nchi nzima ameishinda Tanzania yenye watu zaidi ya 40,000,000..Tukiweka utaratibu mzuri wa kutafuta washiriki watapatikana tu..

Nimekubali wewe ni mbishi ila mimi naendelea kuamini hao watu hawapo hadi pale watakapopatikana na si vinginevyo. Wewe endelea kuamini wapo wakati hata mmoja huwezi nionesha!

[ndetichia]

huyu ndie shujaa hadi Olympic ulaya wanamtambua...