Victorious Athletes Receive Nation’s Esteem

The Athletes yesterday, August 10 presented medals won in various competitions to the Presidential couple in a grandiose ceremony at the Statehouse.

It was all a language of satisfaction, gesture of recognition and an atmosphere of national pride that threaded through the population that joined President Paul Biya and wife, Chantal to celebrate the numerous victories recorded by the country’s athletes during a medley of international sporting competitions. The thirst for such an event was very evident from the content of the speeches and the veracity of emotions that greeted the arrival of the athletes at the Ambassadors’ hall of the Unity Palace. As fate would have it, it was just a ceremony that needed no other thing than words of praise, congratulations and gratification. And, President Paul Biya did just that. No medal winner for the current sporting season was left out. In the same way, most, if not, all of the trainers involved in the competition were given the chance to equally shake hands with the Presidential couple. It was equally one of those rare occasions where some media men who accompanied the athletes were honoured.
Led by the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Pierre Ismael Bidoung Mpkatt, who headed the team of athletes to the just ended Francophonie games in Abidjan, the athletes filed in, in succession, presented their medals and shook hands with President Biya and wife, Chantal before being decorated in the second sequence of the ceremony with various meritorious national medals. These included: Knight of Order of Valor to gold medallists, knight of Order of Merit to the Trainers, Rank of fourth Order of Merit to Silver medallists and Rank of third Order of Sport Merit to Bronze medallists. The cream of members of government and that of the diplomatic corps was visibly present giving the ceremony the grandeur it deserved.
True Ambassadors
There was no better way to describe the medallists than the lubrications in the nation’s recognition speech presented by the Head of State.  “You are the symbol of the Cameroon that we like, the Cameroon that we want and the Cameroon that wins” President Biya said, reminding the athletes of the pride the country has for them. Cameroonians in both the countryside and cities are vibrating in the rhythm of their victory, he assured, stating inter alia that theirs is a beaten record within the past decade. The athletes, holders of 60 gold medals, 64 silver medals and 88 bronze from African and other international competitions were reminded of the impact of their perform...