the State of Cameroon must supervise the careers of its talents.
This is what university teacher Djilo thinks since the announcement of the death in precarious conditions of Ndongo Ebanga, former boxer and Olympic medalist on March 6, 2024 at the CNPS hospital in Yaoundé. The educator declares that the State must put in place a policy which values retired athletes.
Ndongo Ebanga, a slice of life of the bronze medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Cameroon has lost a world-famous sportsman. Martin Ndongo Ebanga is the second boxer from the country to raise the flag of Cameroon during an international competition. He took part in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and won a bronze medal. He died on March 6, 2024 at the age of 57 at the CNPS (Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale) hospital in Yaoundé where he was interned. Ndongo Ebanga was one of the greatest boxers in Africa. He was born on March 23, 1966 and had his moments of glory in the light weight category (less than 60 kilograms) in the early 1980s. After the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, he participated in the African Games in Nairobi. in Kenya in 1987 and was crowned with a bronze medal. He had 10 Cameroonian championship titles.
Returning from the African Games, he makes a courageous decision. Martin Ndongo Ebanga went to conquer the WBC (World Boxing Council) super lightweight world title in 1992. In this adventure he missed out on the title but gained experience. Subsequently, he became a coach and trained young people following the example of Ndamen Njikam. Long later he was the head of the Cameroonian boxing federation. Since the announcement of his disappearance in Yaoundé, his precarious living conditions have been revealed to the public. The university teacher Djilo who knew him and is very close to boxing circles, thinks that the State should supervise the resources of these talents during their moment of glory: ‹‹ Ndongo Ebanga is one of the greatest boxers Cameroonian. I knew him in the early 1980s in Douala. Martin was champion of the Littoral. He carried the flag of Cameroon high at the time when boxing was not very popular in the country. It is thanks to this gentleman that Cameroon saw its flag fly for the second time at the Olympic Games in 1984 in Los Angeles. He was a boxing master. Unfortunately, when he retired, he experienced indescribable misery,” says Gilbert Djilo, university teacher.
Martin Ndongo Ebanga did not have a happy retirement.
University teacher Djilo knew Ndongo Ebanga. He reveals that the former bronze medalist at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics did not enjoy a glorious retirement. For him, high-level athletes should become aware of the realities of their profession which does not guarantee a happy retirement: “The guys lived from day to day. As soon as someone has a pot of money they will squander it, forgetting that later the forces will no longer be the same. Athletes must live on the basis of the reserves they would have kept from the moment their star was in the firmament. It is this lack of anticipation of life that causes many athletes to find themselves in indescribable precariousness in retirement ››.
the State must supervise the resources of its talents.
The Ministry of Sports and Physical Education must establish a policy that requires sports players to pay part of their earnings to the National Social Security Fund CNPS, in order to ensure a peaceful retirement.
Martin Ndongo Ebanga is not the first Cameroonian boxer to die in poverty in retirement. In the past, his illustrious predecessor, Joseph Bessala, who also medaled at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, lived in precarious conditions in the Yaoundé omnisports district until his death.
J. Patrick DJON
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