By Lorena Leonardi
Carried by the wind in a long embrace of the ocean, kitesurfing athletes descended on the island of Zanzibar for a sporting event and to send the most countercultural message there is – one of peace and fraternity, unity among peoples of diverse cultural, religious and national backgrounds. 33 professional kitesurfers took part in the Aug 24 regatta Kiwengwa, the north of Zanzibar, for the second edition of the “Zanzibar CUP KUSI 2024,” where the word Kusi refers to the seasonal winds that blow strongly in this region of the Tanzanian archipelago, east of the East African coast, making possible the practice of this sport recently included among the Olympics.
The ‘breeze’ of fraternity
“Wind is the fuel for kitesurfing,” Stefano Conte, an Italian pediatric surgeon living in Zanzibar, a volunteer in Africa for years and organizer of the regatta, explained to Vatican media. ”Without at least 10 knots, you cannot compete. Fortunately, the winds were almost 20 knots on Saturday,” although it was also the ‘breeze’ of fraternity that the participants of eight different nationalities experienced, united by their passion for the same sport and respect for each other.
Happy with little
“In addition to having fun, the young people experienced an atmosphere of friendship and peace,” Dr Conte continued, “offering in their own small way, a ‘good example'” to a world that too often sails instead in opposite directions, those of war, violent disputes over territories, economic interests, and greed. These are all choices “that lead nowhere,” and “our African brothers and sisters” are showing us how one can live well even “with a handful of rice, some fish, the sun and the sea.” We do not need all those “trappings” that, especially in the Western world and in some media narratives, “are deemed indispensable” while in reality they only contribute to a great deception.
United in embracing humanity
Italian athlete, Jacopo Cantini from Follonica, came in first place at the international competition. He recently opened a kitesurfing school in Watamu, Kenya. In anticipation of the next edition of the kitesurfing regatta, scheduled for February 2025, Stefano Conte is composing a Zanzibar Cup theme song which he hopes can be performed by a famous singer. The idea is to continue the sporting event and bring people together from Africa and the world in a show of fraternity and unity, a human embrace and catching the winds of peace the world needs so much. – Vatican News
