Final preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, which begin on July 23. Twelve Senegalese athletes are eligible for the Olympics and Paralympics. Among them is judoka Mbagnick Ndiaye, one of Senegal’s flag bearers, with the French-Senegalese swimmer Jeanne Boutbien. A dream for this colossus “a little too sore”, according to his coach.
as reported from Dakar,Charlotte idrac
Push-ups, footwork: Mbagnick Ndiaye, 27 years old, 130 kilos, does the exercises on tatamine, near the family home: “We are at the national dojo in town, where I started my first steps in judo. That’s where it all started, at the age of five. I had cousins, friends who did judo, I quickly fell in love. “
African champion in the category over 100 kg 2019 and 2020, this is the first time he participates in the Olympic Games. Judoka feels “very happy and very calm, I can say that it is a dream come true. I’m really proud to be the delegation’s flag bearer. It’s a bit stressful, but here I will not set specific goals. I will take the fight for the fight contest to try to make the most of every moment of these Olympics. ”
A family issue
A calm, humble athlete, maybe a little too much, according to Abdou Karim Seck, his coach and head of the national judo teams: “If he is explosive on the day of the competition, he can win everything, because technically he is very, very, very good. But he is “Not mean. He’s tender for a champion. He has to be much tougher on the mat, because people are not there to have fun.”
To go even further, Mbagnick Ndiaye has specially trained with the French champion Teddy Riner. Judo, a family affair: his younger brother Saliou Ndiaye, 25, a smaller size, won the bronze medal at the recent African Championships.
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