Mozambique: Mutola back on the track in honour of Craveirinha

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Mozambique: Mutola back on the track in honour of Craveirinha

1:33 CAT | 18 Jul 2022

Maria de Lurdes Mutola runs hand in hand with Kurt Couto. [Photo: Fundação Lurdes Mutola]

Mozambican 800-metre Olympic champion, Lurdes Mutola, returned to the track in a competition that was organised by her foundation to celebrate the centenary of José Craveirinha, a figure who helped launch her into world athletics.

Many years after the end of her career, Lurdes Mutola came back, as she has done on many occasions, to raise the national flag in the concert of nations. But this time, her tribute had a special purpose: to honour José Craveirinha, a great poet and major reference in Mozambican sport.

It was inspired by the national laureate that Lurdes Mutola launched herself onto the world stage, and the race’s five kilometre route, passing along Avenues Samora Machel, 25 de Setembro, 10 de Novembro and Praça dos Trabalhadores, was the best way the “golden girl” could find to commemorate Craveirinha’s contribution to her life and to athletics.

More than 400 athletes joined Lurdes to celebrate Craveirinha’s centenary. There was room for all comers, from federated athletes to veterans, members of the public, wheelchair users and tricycles. And no wonder, for the prizes were very attractive.

Mutolacr.fb_ — *Photo: Fundação Lurdes Mutola*

But, as Lurdes Mutola said at the end of the race, the spectacular turnout indicated the importance of the event, and not even the rain that fell on Saturday morning could dampen the spirits of participants from all the provinces of the country.

Athletes in the wheelchair category were the first to kick the race in honour of one of the country’s greatest poetic voices. But the highlight was when Lurdes Mutola, accompanied by former athlete Kurt Couto, led off the main group, a symbolic event many might never have dared hope for.

The race was also marked by the presence of renowned Mozambican sports figures, such as the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Joel Libombo, who joined Lurdes Mutola’s initiative.

“Craveirinha means a lot to me”

For Lurdes Mutola, José Craveirinha is a special person, as it was through the inspiration of the chief poet that she reached the heights of her career.

“He was the person who took me from football to athletics and made me believe that I could make it. That’s exactly what happened,” she said.

It was through the doors that Craveirinha opened for her, she said, that she won nine world titles, two Olympic medals and the many others that now pack her trophy shelves.

Mutola said Saturday’s race was intended to make athletes who still dream of sporting achievement realise that, with dedication and hard work, anything is possible.

“Everything is possible. I am an example of this. This is the message you need to get across to people,” Mutola said, promising similar initiatives every year, not only to honour Craveirinha – for her, not just a symbol of athletics, but a person of international standing – but also to awaken in people some recognition of the value of sport.

Kurt Couto, who also joined the initiative, said Craveirinha was a figure who took national athletics to prominence, as well as contributing, through his writing, to the awakening of Mozambicans’ sense of themselves.

“I feel honoured to have received an invitation to this initiative from Lurdes. I accepted, because it is a noble cause. It was good to get back to racing, which I stopped doing a few years ago,” he said.

Donaldo Machava and Verónica José, in the federated athletes’ category, were the big winners of the race, both taking home a car as reward.

READ: Verónica José: The Mozambican quietly becoming an elite athlete

Machava said his achievement was the result of good preparation. “I trained hard for this, redoubling my efforts since I found out about the event. My goal was always to win, so I’m happy about that, and I salute Lurdes for her initiative,” he said. Verónica José echoed his sentiments about winning competition being significant for her, explaining that was good preparation for the world championships she would soon attend.

The remaining winners took away monetary prizes, the highest being 13,000 meticais.

Winners by category

Federated