PRAGUE CHAMPIONS BLOG (Diary of Oom Jan)Pražští šampioni (Deník strýčka Jendy)

Friday, June 27th - DAY ONE

My first championship friends flew in from Abu Dhabi in the morning, but had team shirts of South Africa. That is how I recognized them at the airport anyway – green Y with white lines dividing red black and blue.

„Yes, that is us,“ says tall George pushing baggage trolley when he recognizes the sign with the logo I hold in my hand.

These twelve are the first arrivals of foreign teams of athletes with Down syndrome competing in 8th Open European Championships in Prague this week. But I feel at home with them very soon: Learning about their dogs (Rhodesian Ridgebacks, of course), farms and opposite temperatures – would you believe in this heat, its only 0° Celsius in Johannesburg area today?

So I also got to know Richard and Belinda whom I had corresponded with the last two months. But mainly Matthew´s (aka Explorer) who watched Sonic the Hedgehog III on the plane, Matthew the Birthday man, Marine and Cindy who competes in shot put.

„What is the main Czech industry? What kind of crops are these and did you see the horses on the left? They have straightforward questions in the vans (Paul and Jakub are driving).

We have a few hours before the check in, so we explore the Prague Castle, a fictional character Švejk explained as we pass the pub with his name at Dejvice. Coffee, cakes, beer, St. Vitus´s Cathedral and Long Gone Kings. They claim this is very peaceful city. And as we wait at the traffic lights next to the Czech parliament , Matthew the Exporer gives me a hug. So i know we are best friends now because that is how the DS athletes work all over the world.

And they started calling me „Oom Jan“. It means Uncle Jan in Afrikaans. And it means we could be a family.

Because sport IS for every one.

by Oom Jan