Sports know no boundaries, and the saying fits these two young girls who, despite their different nationalities, are the best of friends and love spending time together. They add to the glamour and cheer of the Games Village.
Like any other young people, they are here not just for the competition but also to enjoy every moment of their stay in the historic city of Delhi.
Meet Jade Howard and Talisa Erwan Lanoe!
Jade Howard and Talisa Erwan Lanoe, teenagers from Zambia and Kenya, are best friends who seem inseparable, as if they have been in each other’s company for ages. But on closer inquiry, one is surprised to learn that they belong to two different countries, became friends at a training school in South Africa and are here to represent their nations at the Commonwealth Games.
“Don’t be surprised to see us giggling together and playing pranks on each other. Even though we belong to two different countries, we are the best of friends and love each other’s company. We behave like kids whenever we are together. This is the fun of these Games. They bring you all closer,” said 15-year-old Jade Howard, a swimmer from Zambia who took part in the 100m backstroke.
Talisa Erwan Lanoe agrees. The 16-year-old from Kenya says that although they have known each other for a long time and have exchanged pleasantries at various international competitions, they became really close only after joining 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 have been very close since then,” said the young swimmer, who is Kenya’s 50m backstroke champion.
Saying 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 from different countries. In the process we make some really good friends, and we are an example of that. These events also give young athletes like us a platform to get to know each other. We also get the experience of performing on a big stage,” said the swimmers.
And the thing they rave about most is the Indian food.
“The food here is awesome. The dining hall is the best part of the Village. We have tried many Indian dishes, but chicken curry is the best. We also like chapatis. But we are avoiding heavy food like parathas, as we will soon be competing in our races. We will try many more dishes after our events,” said the girls, adding that they were looking forward to seeing Delhi and Agra after their competitions.
“We have been around the city, but we would surely like to take the memories of this place back home. We will be going to Agra as well. We have heard a lot about the Taj Mahal and want to take pictures in front of it,” said the girls.
Courtesy: Village News (official newspaper of the Games Village)
By Rakesh Jha
Indian Sports News
