Mr. Crispin Cole | October 26, 2005
BY MAURICE MCLEOD
(Courtesy, The Voice)
Columba Blango
During the pole vault at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, British sporting hero Daley Thompson lent one of his poles to a fellow athlete from Sierra Leone who had broken his own pole.
That Sierra Leonean athlete plans to repay the favour by helping to nurture some of our brightest hopes for the London Olympics in 2012.
Columba Blango believes that sport in general (and the London Olympics in particular) has the potential to create community pride and tackle some of the problems that blight inner city communities.
“I see sports as a tool through which young people can achieve their potential,” he explains.
Columba was born in Sierra Leone where he was lucky enough to have a good education and was able to launch a successful career in sport.
“It wasn’t easy, there were typical third world sporting standards,” he recalls. “I had to work extra hard to reach a world standard.
“I was lucky enough to grow up in an affluent community and go to a school that took sports seriously.”
Despite missing the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics through injury and the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh because of an African boycott, the pride of competing on the world stage in Moscow is something that Columba will never forget.
“It is electric to represent your country at the Olympic games,” he says.
“You see the whole world in one Olympic village, interacting and communicating. Sport crosses the barrier of politics and race. You come out of the games feeling you have met the whole world and not experienced racism or language barriers.
“Through sports you can build friendships. You can meet people who are role models,” he says.
One role model that Columba met in Moscow was British decathlete Daley Thompson, who went on to win gold in the event.
“I used Daley Thompson’s pole for the pole vault and he still jokingly asks for it back whenever I see him,” Columba said.
In the late 1980s, injuries and age brought Columba’s sporting career to an end but it did not stop the drive and determination that had taken him to the top of his sport.
After studying at Kiev State Institute for Sports in Ukraine, Columba came to Britain in 1991 because his family were living here.
In Britain he taught at a school in Kent. “It was semi-private and the students were well behaved,” he tells me.
“There was a lot of satisfaction because the facilities were so good. I taught sports and sports science. The kids had talent but not as much motivation as children from less privileged backgrounds.
“I feel they had more options and didn’t see sports as there only way to success.”
Throughout his education, Columba had been almost as interested in politics as he was in sports.
When he moved to a teaching job in London, he decided to join the Liberal Democrats after reading the manifestos of all the major political parties.
“They spoke of liberty, justice and fairness and these were all principles that I strongly believed in,” Columba says.
He obtained a British Amateur Athletics Association qualification in sports coaching and started training amateur athletics at Crystal Palace. He also became a councillor for the London Borough of Southwark, where he lived.
“I’m got into politics to contribute to communities,” he says, “I believe that higher office gives you more power to affect peoples lives and fight injustice.
“I saw so much injustice during my teenage years and so was determined to try and fight for fairness when I could.”
In Southwark he found a community where he thought he could make a difference. “Southwark is a multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-faith community,” he says. “It is this diversity that is our strength. It gives us the opportunity to learn about other cultures and people.
“Southwark is the Mecca of London. People come from all over London just to spend time in Southwark because it presents the opportunity to meet people from other backgrounds and to broaden their horizons.”
Columba has used his time on the council to promote sport as a way of bridging communities and nurturing community spirit.
“I have been on the council for seven years,” he says. “The first four years I was on the youth sports and culture committee. We have huge underachievement of youth in Southwark.
“I have been advocating that young people get involved in sports. It benefits them health-wise, it gives them motivation and goals and teaches discipline.”
After leaving school the vast majority of young people have little or no further involvement in sports. Columba was convinced this needed to change.
He became Mayor of Southwark in 2003 and quickly went about making sure that the importance of sport was taken seriously in the borough.
“When I became Mayor in 2003/2004 I devised a mechanism where youngsters from 9-16 could take part in sports throughout the year,” he recalls.
“We came up with the idea of the Southwark Community Games. Through sports, youngsters develop their self esteem, self confidence and have the opportunity to discover other talents.”
In its first year the Community Games saw over 4,000 local youngsters getting involved in either athletics, rugby, cricket and football.
Last year, 8,000 children were involved and the number of sports on offer had risen to ten, including dragon boat racing.
“There are eight community councils in Southwark and the Games are about them competing against each other,” Columba explains.
“It helps with community pride. If you come from Peckham you can feel proud to come from there and value your area.”
The young people who get involved in the Community Games take away more than just sporting achievement from their participation. Many learn leadership and discipline skills that help them go on to be community leaders.
Although only in its second year, the Community Games appear to be having positive effects on Southwark’s sporting achievements.
“Last year we became the first inner city London borough to break into the top ten in the London youth games, this year we came third,” Columba says proudly.
“My argument for creating the Community Games was for people to feel the Olympic spirit through competing.”
It is no surprise then, that Columba is very excited about the Olympic Games coming to London in 2012.
He is convinced that some of the young people who get involved in sports thanks to the Community Games will go on to represent Britain in London 2012, but the legacy he hopes to leave will be even longer lasting than that.
“I still feel I have lot to do in achieving diversity and equality in Southwark,” Columba says. “My lasting desire is to make sure that Southwark achieves equality for all.”
“Over 200 languages are spoken in Southwark schools. We embrace that and we need to extend our hands to other countries. That will be part of our equality and diversity programme.
“In a few years we will have a Southwark community cultural centre which will be educational, interactive and which celebrates the borough’s diversity.”
Columba also wants to bring a top-level sports facility to the borough so that future prospective Olympians will have a place to nurture their talents. “I dream of an ultra modern sports complex here that will attract young and old, rich and poor,” he says.
On a personal level, Columba believes that the higher up the political ladder he climbs the more benefit he will be able to be for his community.
He came a creditable second in this year’s parliamentary election for Lewisham Deptford and is not ruling out making another bid.
“If I have the opportunity I will try for parliament again,” he says.
FACTFILE
1958 Born in Sierra Leone
1980 represents Sierra Leone at the Moscow Olympics
1991 Moves to Britain
1998 Elected to Southwark Council
2002 Become Mayor of Southwark
2003 Launches Community Games
2005 Runs for Parliament
(Courtesy, The Voice)
Columba Blango
During the pole vault at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, British sporting hero Daley Thompson lent one of his poles to a fellow athlete from Sierra Leone who had broken his own pole.
That Sierra Leonean athlete plans to repay the favour by helping to nurture some of our brightest hopes for the London Olympics in 2012.
Columba Blango believes that sport in general (and the London Olympics in particular) has the potential to create community pride and tackle some of the problems that blight inner city communities.
“I see sports as a tool through which young people can achieve their potential,” he explains.
Columba was born in Sierra Leone where he was lucky enough to have a good education and was able to launch a successful career in sport.
“It wasn’t easy, there were typical third world sporting standards,” he recalls. “I had to work extra hard to reach a world standard.
“I was lucky enough to grow up in an affluent community and go to a school that took sports seriously.”
Despite missing the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics through injury and the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh because of an African boycott, the pride of competing on the world stage in Moscow is something that Columba will never forget.
“It is electric to represent your country at the Olympic games,” he says.
“You see the whole world in one Olympic village, interacting and communicating. Sport crosses the barrier of politics and race. You come out of the games feeling you have met the whole world and not experienced racism or language barriers.
“Through sports you can build friendships. You can meet people who are role models,” he says.
One role model that Columba met in Moscow was British decathlete Daley Thompson, who went on to win gold in the event.
“I used Daley Thompson’s pole for the pole vault and he still jokingly asks for it back whenever I see him,” Columba said.
In the late 1980s, injuries and age brought Columba’s sporting career to an end but it did not stop the drive and determination that had taken him to the top of his sport.
After studying at Kiev State Institute for Sports in Ukraine, Columba came to Britain in 1991 because his family were living here.
In Britain he taught at a school in Kent. “It was semi-private and the students were well behaved,” he tells me.
“There was a lot of satisfaction because the facilities were so good. I taught sports and sports science. The kids had talent but not as much motivation as children from less privileged backgrounds.
“I feel they had more options and didn’t see sports as there only way to success.”
Throughout his education, Columba had been almost as interested in politics as he was in sports.
When he moved to a teaching job in London, he decided to join the Liberal Democrats after reading the manifestos of all the major political parties.
“They spoke of liberty, justice and fairness and these were all principles that I strongly believed in,” Columba says.
He obtained a British Amateur Athletics Association qualification in sports coaching and started training amateur athletics at Crystal Palace. He also became a councillor for the London Borough of Southwark, where he lived.
“I’m got into politics to contribute to communities,” he says, “I believe that higher office gives you more power to affect peoples lives and fight injustice.
“I saw so much injustice during my teenage years and so was determined to try and fight for fairness when I could.”
In Southwark he found a community where he thought he could make a difference. “Southwark is a multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-faith community,” he says. “It is this diversity that is our strength. It gives us the opportunity to learn about other cultures and people.
“Southwark is the Mecca of London. People come from all over London just to spend time in Southwark because it presents the opportunity to meet people from other backgrounds and to broaden their horizons.”
Columba has used his time on the council to promote sport as a way of bridging communities and nurturing community spirit.
“I have been on the council for seven years,” he says. “The first four years I was on the youth sports and culture committee. We have huge underachievement of youth in Southwark.
“I have been advocating that young people get involved in sports. It benefits them health-wise, it gives them motivation and goals and teaches discipline.”
After leaving school the vast majority of young people have little or no further involvement in sports. Columba was convinced this needed to change.
He became Mayor of Southwark in 2003 and quickly went about making sure that the importance of sport was taken seriously in the borough.
“When I became Mayor in 2003/2004 I devised a mechanism where youngsters from 9-16 could take part in sports throughout the year,” he recalls.
“We came up with the idea of the Southwark Community Games. Through sports, youngsters develop their self esteem, self confidence and have the opportunity to discover other talents.”
In its first year the Community Games saw over 4,000 local youngsters getting involved in either athletics, rugby, cricket and football.
Last year, 8,000 children were involved and the number of sports on offer had risen to ten, including dragon boat racing.
“There are eight community councils in Southwark and the Games are about them competing against each other,” Columba explains.
“It helps with community pride. If you come from Peckham you can feel proud to come from there and value your area.”
The young people who get involved in the Community Games take away more than just sporting achievement from their participation. Many learn leadership and discipline skills that help them go on to be community leaders.
Although only in its second year, the Community Games appear to be having positive effects on Southwark’s sporting achievements.
“Last year we became the first inner city London borough to break into the top ten in the London youth games, this year we came third,” Columba says proudly.
“My argument for creating the Community Games was for people to feel the Olympic spirit through competing.”
It is no surprise then, that Columba is very excited about the Olympic Games coming to London in 2012.
He is convinced that some of the young people who get involved in sports thanks to the Community Games will go on to represent Britain in London 2012, but the legacy he hopes to leave will be even longer lasting than that.
“I still feel I have lot to do in achieving diversity and equality in Southwark,” Columba says. “My lasting desire is to make sure that Southwark achieves equality for all.”
“Over 200 languages are spoken in Southwark schools. We embrace that and we need to extend our hands to other countries. That will be part of our equality and diversity programme.
“In a few years we will have a Southwark community cultural centre which will be educational, interactive and which celebrates the borough’s diversity.”
Columba also wants to bring a top-level sports facility to the borough so that future prospective Olympians will have a place to nurture their talents. “I dream of an ultra modern sports complex here that will attract young and old, rich and poor,” he says.
On a personal level, Columba believes that the higher up the political ladder he climbs the more benefit he will be able to be for his community.
He came a creditable second in this year’s parliamentary election for Lewisham Deptford and is not ruling out making another bid.
“If I have the opportunity I will try for parliament again,” he says.
FACTFILE
1958 Born in Sierra Leone
1980 represents Sierra Leone at the Moscow Olympics
1991 Moves to Britain
1998 Elected to Southwark Council
2002 Become Mayor of Southwark
2003 Launches Community Games
2005 Runs for Parliament
Posted 5 years, 3 months ago on October 26, 2005
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