Sports know no boundaries and the adage befits these two young hearts, who irrespective of their nationalities are the best of pals who love to spend time with each other. They are the ones adding to the glamour and chirpiness of the Games Village.

They are like any other young souls who are here not just for the competition but also to enjoy each and every moment of their stay in the historical city of Delhi.

Meet Jade Howard and Talisa Erwan Lanoe!

Jade Howard and Talisa Erwan Lanoe, the teenagers from Zambia and Kenya are the best buddies who look like some inseparable souls. The two teenagers look like some inseparable souls who have been in each other’s company for ages. But on closer inquiry, one is surprised to know that they belong to two different countries who became friends at a training school in South Africa and are here to represent their nations as competitors in the Commonwealth Games.

“Don’t be surprised to see us giggling together and playing pranks on each other. Even if we belong to two different countries, we are the best of buddies and love each other’s company. We behave like kids whenever we are together. This is the fun of these Games. It brings you all closer,” said 15-year-old Jade Howard, a swimmer from Zambia who participated in 100m backstroke.

Corroborates Talisa Erwan Lanoe. The 16-year-old from Kenya informs that though they know each other since long and have been exchanging pleasantries at various international competitions, they became really close only after they joined the same training school in South Africa. “We are swimmers and we happened to join the same training school in South Africa in January this year. We became good friends and since then have been very close to each other,” said the young swimmer, who is Kenya’s 50-metre backstroke champion.

Stating that they were loving their stay in the Village, the girls added that everything about the place was fantastic. “The ambience is superb and so are the people around. It’s so lively. We are having fun. Competitions like this give us an opportunity to meet people of different countries. In the process we make some really good friends and we are examples to that. These kinds of events also give young athletes like us a platform to know each other. We also get the experience of performing on big stage,” said the swimmers.

And one thing that they rave about the most is the Indian food.

“The food is awesome here. The dining hall is the best part of this Village. We have tried many Indian cuisines. But chicken curry is the best. We also like chapattis. But we are avoiding heavy stuffs like parathas as we would soon be competing in our races. But we will be trying many more dishes after our events,” said the girls, adding that they were looking forward to see Delhi and Agra after their competitions get over.

“We have been around the city but we surely like to take back the memories of this place back home. We will be going to Agra as well. We have heard a lot about Taj Mahal and want to click our pictures in front of it,” said both the girls.

Courtesy: Village News (Official Newspaper of Games Village)

By Rakesh Jha