Angola's Annual 10K Race

The São Silvestre De Luanda 10K running race is one of the most celebrated and traditional athletic events held in Angola.  Occurring on December 31 each year in the Angolan capital, Luanda, the race is an international sporting event that promotes athletics in Angola in its purest essence. 

Patterned under the race of the same name in Brazil, the São Silvestre was first held in 1954 and featured only Angolan runners until 1964 when recognized world athletes were invited to participate.   Consisting a plot of 10 Kilometers, the initial aims of the race were to equally celebrate one of the Catholic's Holy Day's of Obligation as well as to prove international athletic character.

Recognized athletes from Ethiopia, Portugal, South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe annually participate in the running event. (Sao Silvestre website)

For the Love of Hockey - Angolan Style

Luanda — Hockey is popular in Angola, but not the 'ice' kind because of the climate.  The game of roller hockey is similar to ice hockey but played on an indoor, hard surfaced rink of one of three standard sizes (a minimum of 34x17 meters, an average of 40x20 and a maximum of 44x22).   Roller hockey was a demonstration rollersport at the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona.

Recently, the launching ceremony of the 41st Roller Hockey World Cup, to be hosted for first time in Africa and Angola on 20-28 September in 2013 in the provinces of Luanda and Namibe, marks a great moment for history of this sport.  

The top official of CIRH (Committee International Roller Hockey) informed the press during its rewarding ceremony that the cup will conducted on a high standard, due to the efforts made by the Angolan authorities and the organizational capacity of Angola.  Angola was deemed to be efficient in organizing international events under CIRH such as the holding of the first world club championship in 2006 and the African clubs championship in 2008. (Angola Press)

Angola's Olympians - Taking Pride in Sport

Angola debuted as a participant in the Olympic Games five years after the proclamation of its independence on November 11th, 1975. The first appearance was in the summer of 1980 in Moscow, the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Since then, Angola has been present at all Olympic competitions, held every four years, except in Los Angeles in 1984.

Angola was not present in the U.S. city of Los Angeles in solidarity with all the countries that boycotted in retaliation for similar actions taken by the United States and its allies against the Olympics in Moscow, under the East-West confrontation of the time.  Angola emerged in the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, in 1988 and thereafter has participated in every Olympic games already made (Barcelona, in 1992, Atlanta, in 1996, Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008).

Athletics, swimming and boxing were the Angolan sport specialities since the first Angolan presence in Moscow, to which followed male and female handball, male and female basketball, canoeing, judo, beach volleyball and also shooting.  Angolan Shooting made its debut in 2000, in the Sydney Olympics.  Canoeing made its appearance in Beijing in 2008, with the skilled Angolan athlete Domingos Fortunato. The beach volleyball was another sport that made its debut in China's capital.

Among the hundreds of athletes who have represented Angola in various sports, the highlight goes to the runner João Ntyamba and the swimmer Nádia Cruz, who have the record in Olympic Game presences. With his presence in the Beijing Olympic Marathon, João Ntyamba became the first athlete to participate in six Olympics, who premiered in Seoul in 1988.  On the other hand, Nádia Cruz represented Angola in Swimming in four Olympic Games: Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney, where in the latter city she was the flag bearer of the Angolan delegation.

London 2012 is the eighth presence of Angola in the Olympic Games in various sports, without having won any medals yet. In the British capital, Angolans have some hope especially in handball and basketball, both feminine, which are the current champions and representatives of the African continent.

After the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games (for the disabled), which as usual take place in the same city, will occur in London from August 29th to September 9th, and for which Angola has its eyes on being successful. Taking into account some successes already achieved in previous Games, the Angolan participation was the subject of careful preparation, involving the training of the nine athletes selected (Athletics and Swimming) in the High Performance Centre in Pretoria (South Africa), competition in the International Athletics Meeting in Tunisia and other stages in Portugal, Cuba and in a high performance center in the host country.

The goal set by the Angolan Paralympic Committee is to win medals, like in other occasions, especially in the 2004 Athens Games, where Angolan sprinter José Armando Sayovo won three gold medals and set records in the 100, 200 and 400 meters, such achievement led the Secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, to designate him as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Solidarity Causes.  Here's to the success of Angola at these upcoming Olympic Games in London.  (TAAG Austral Magazine)

Angola's Queens of the Court

Basketball is Angola's most popular sport.  Angola’s female basketball team recently won the African Championship trophy in Mali qualifying them for the 2012 London Olympics. It was Angola’s first female continental basketball title and gained them automatic qualification for the London Olympic Games next year.

President José Eduardo dos Santos congratulated the team, describing the triumph as “a result of collective action and the victorious spirit of the Angolan people.”

The Angolan victory was all the sweeter as it came over Senegal, the reigning and ten-times champions of Afrobasket. On no fewer than five occasions, Angola’s best position in the competition had been third place, a feat repeated in the previous two championships.

Large crowds gathered at Luanda Airport for the team’s home- coming. Team captain Nacissela Maurício, trophy in hand, was first to emerge from the aircraft and led a 20-vehicle celebratory cavalcade in an open-top bus through the city, with hundreds of motorcyclists providing a noisy escort.

Nacissela was voted ‘most valued player’ in the championship and was also named a member of the competition’s dream team. (Sonangol Universo Magazine)

Angola Canoeing: Beginning 'Paddles' to Success

Despite the difficulties of starting a “new activity” like canoeing in Angola, the sport has already taken the name of the country far beyond the sea that laps the western side of the capital city Luanda.  In just ten years, the national high-level athletes have won 23 medals in African championships (six gold, eight silver and nine bronze).

There is not much information about the origin of Canoeing in Angola. The most ancient records mention “canoe competitions among the fishermen of the island during Luanda’s and Dande’s festivals”, says professor Francisco Freire. The winner of these sporadic competitions, dating back to colonial times, “won a case of beer”, recalls the chairman of the Technical Council of the Angolan Federation of Water Sports (FADEN).

The period that followed the colonial times, where water sports were basically sailing and rowing, the sport of canoeing was almost nonexistent.  Canoeing would have to wait almost 25 years to shake again the Bay of Luanda, now in a more serious way.

The sport is gaining greater visibility during festivals of the Nautical Club (February), the Naval Club (May) and Navy (June). Despite the growing interest, FADEN controls only 20  canoeing athletes (to which we add 100 sailing athletes and five of rowing). Of these, 15 practice at high level, despite the “lack of proper support structures”, according to Freire.

But the highlight of the initial activity was the Olympic qualification of Fortunato Pacavira for the Beijing Olympics in 2008, in which the athlete reached the semi-finals in the 1000 meters men race. The islander athlete, who has also participated in three tournaments in Africa and two in the world, has also won first place in Africa's championships of Cote d'Ivoire in 2009.  In 2008, he represented the national colors on the Olympic Games in Beijing. “I got the minimum qualifying result acceptable, and ended up reaching the semifinals, where I was seventh”.  It is of the opinion that Pacavira may already have company in the next Olympics where the goal of the Federation is to take two athletes to London next year.

In the opinion of  Freire, the results show an undeniable reality: “although we have not inherited canoeing from the colonial era, today it has already overtaken in terms of results, all other sports with more tradition and even modalities in which people invest more in Angola.  Of the 23 medals we won in only a decade of activity, 14 were achieved all at once at the last African Championship, in Côte d'Ivoire. This alone shows that this sport has much potential, though it is not highly valued in the country”.

Along with the African championships, the national canoeists are already looking forward for the London Olympics in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The perspectives of qualifying more Angolans for the most important international competition proves that “the competitive level of Angolan athletes is also increasing”. (excerpts from TAAG Austral Magazine)

'Running' into the New Year

On December 31, Luanda will again host the 55th annual mini-marathon named Sao Silvestre de Luanda.  A regular year-end sporting event in Lusaphone countries, the event has its roots in Brazil where the first race was run in 1925 and has now become the oldest and most prestigious street race in Brazil.

Known as Saint Silvester's Day, December 31 marks the day on Catholic calendars when the Catholic saint, Pope Silvestre, died in the 4th century of the Christian era.

For Angola's race, the Angolan Athletics Federation confirmed the entry of Ethiopian runner Derib Merga, the 15,000 meter race world record holder. Last year, Derib Merga won the half marathons in Boston, Houston, New Delhi, Dubai and Ottawa. Merga will have competition from compatriot Hail Gebrsalassie (holder of the world's best marathon mark) and the Kenyan Josphat Menjou, the world record holder in 10,000 meters.

The San Silvestre de Luanda has a route length of 10 kilometers, starting off in the area of Mutamba and ending in Luanda's Conqueiros Stadium.  The winners in both men's and women's classes will receive USD$10,000 each. (ANGOP)

Bending Angola's Wind

The Bay of Luanda, shielded by the long arm of the Ilha peninsula, makes a near-perfect environment in which young people can endeavor to pursue a new-found watersport. The recent growth in popularity of sailing is just another sign that normality is now quickly returning to the life of Angola, with its hundreds of kilometres of beautiful and relatively benign coastline.

Despite its image as an elite pastime, the interest in sailing among young Luandans is stretching across all economic levels, showing a steady growth in the numbers joining sailing clubs and learning the skills of bending the wind to their pleasure.

José Junça, the president of the Angolan Sailing Federation, says that as a rule the children are only allowed to sail if they succeed in school – but no matter what the family income, they have the opportunity to join a sailing club. “The kids quickly form a strong bond, no matter what their skill, social level or school grades,” he says. “I have noticed that this is a very character-building activity at their age.”

“These are two principles that we intend to keep up, but it’s hard,” says Mr Junça. “This connection with the sea is important for Angola. It is quite possible that some of the kids, somewhere in their future, may thus be  directed to study marine biology, naval engineering or something else related to the sailing environment which they now find themselves in.”

Altogether, more than 100 Angolan children are signed up as members of the three most popular classes:  Optimist (one crew, hull weight: 35 kg, sail area: 3.25 sq.m), Laser (one crew, hull weight: 59kg, sail area: 7.06 sq.m)  and Vaurien (two crew, hull weight 95 kg, total sail area: 16.2 sq.m).

Almost all of the young Angolan sailors are eager to go abroad and show to the world their enthusiasm for the sport. “Their first wish is really to compete outside the country and meet other people,” says Mr Junça. In  fact, most of them are sufficiently experienced to take part in international competitions, and have made many foreign friends with whom they share their interest at every level.

Eighteen-year-old Osvaldo Tati, sailing in the Laser class, has been three-times national champion, and says that the top places in the international competitions are well within Angola’s reach due to its young sailors’ dedication and enthusiasm. (Sonangol Universo Magazine)