Generosity in sport could be renamed after him. How could one imagine a greater gesture than giving up one’s place to a fellow countryman for an Olympic event where he was aiming for gold? Vénuste Niyongabo made that sacrifice. In 1996, at the Atlanta Games, he allowed another Burundian athlete to compete in the 1500m, his favorite distance. No matter — it was in the 5000m that Vénuste won gold, becoming the first Olympic champion in Burundi’s history. At the very moment when his country was experiencing genocide between rival ethnic groups. He rejected those divisions and loudly proclaimed that he was defending the colors of all of Burundi. A symbol of unity, he continues to promote the values of peace through sport, notably with the organization Peace and Sport.
“Sport taught me who I am. I started, like many others, at school. I discovered the joy of being the fastest in my class. Sport builds self-esteem. Then, around age 12, I had rheumatism, I was hospitalized, and the doctor told me: To avoid this happening again, you must play sports. At 16, I focused on athletics because I had talent. I realized that sport reduces the anxiety of life, while many young people in Burundi drop out of school early or fall into alcoholism. It teaches you to handle pressure, to win and lose, to dare. It teaches perseverance, not to be discouraged by difficulty. And then there’s the social side: it’s easier to make friends.
At 19, after winning the World Junior Championships in Seoul, I went to train in Italy. I left everything: my parents, my friends — I had no money to eat. I left for a country I couldn’t even locate on a map! It was a very difficult year. But that year shaped me like nothing else. You learn through hardship and defeats. At the end of that year, sport became my profession.
Winning the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games while Burundi was at war between Hutus and Tutsis was a major moment in my life. I was told that at the moment of my final, the war stopped because I belonged to everyone. I was only 22 and understood that I shouldn’t get involved in political battles. In fact, I was asked in an interview if I had won for the Hutus or the Tutsis, and I replied: I won for the nation. It was spontaneous. I felt a great responsibility.
That responsibility follows me: how to remain a role model for future generations? How to be useful? My commitment with Peace and Sport contributes to that. Joël Bouzou came to me and said he wanted me to join his organization. He said: your country needs you. Starting in 2009, I became the ambassador for the Friendship Games of the Great Lakes region. I was very moved to see children from Burundi, Congo, and Rwanda — who did not speak the same language — spend the day together. And spontaneously, each group sang and danced in their dialect without any competitive spirit. Seeing that truly committed me — I found my purpose in society. I’ve never missed the event since then. 600 children are followed year-round in Burundi by our educators. They are orphans, street children, children born of rape or living in extreme poverty. They learn values of respect, they are made aware of issues related to drugs, sexuality… We offer them someone to listen. With sport, we build a common language, we become a community, a family.
In parallel with this commitment, I created the Venuste Niyongabo Foundation which works with the Olympic Committee, the Ministry of Sports, health services, and schools. The goal is to make sport a remedy to help people in difficulty.
On the occasion of the Friendship Games, I crossed the border between Burundi and Congo during a war between the two countries. And I saw political authorities deliver a message of peace in front of the children. One can truly feel how much sport can be a bridge between peoples. I experienced it.”
Interview conducted by Thierry Suire for Heros magazine.
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