In the week just ending, the social media has been awash with a picture of the first gentleman, whom internet fanatics have been admiring because of his newly adopted physique. For ladies, some actually went as far as immediately falling in love with the Head of State, saying his muscular appearance is both attractive and adorable. For men; particularly the youth on the other hand, Chakwera seemed to have mesmerised them with the fact that gymnastic skills he has now adopted are adding a great deal of value to his body.
Truthfully speaking, gymnastics is a very exciting sports discipline. In countries like Nigeria, Ghana, United States of America and many others, youth and even middle aged adults regard it as a sport they cannot do without. To some levels, the sport is even exercised as a tournament which gives participants monetary rewards and medals. Back home, notwithstanding the fact that the sport is not highly dominated by most of the youth, some of them regard it as a tool with which to shape their bodies and look physically trendy.
When competitions like Mr Blantyre or Mr Zomba were more fashionable, organisers of such events were more bent towards electing someone who looked more physically muscular in addition to other categories for judgment. Physical appearance aside, those of us who are beginners or intermediate gymnasts do surely know that gymnastics is a natural medication to some ailments. Those who seriously work out at the gym as a physical exercise or as a sport will rarely suffer from malaria or non communicable diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and gout.
Get me right here: I’m not saying working out at the gym then one has parted ways with being troubled by such diseases, but the point is: gymnastics coupled with balanced diet is ready made dosage against some infections.
In the face of the current pandemic of Covid-19, medics do stress on the need to physically exercise more often than never before; what more eating nice and balanced meals and observing other already laid down preventive measures.
On this pandemic, the scientifically proven belief is that those with physically strong bodies, stand greater chances of getting healed of the virus once they are attacked by it because their bodies are well readied to combat the same in addition to not having underlying diseases.
But now, what is the point of bringing President Lazarus Chakwera’s gymnastics into the limelight? Well, the point I wish to drive home is here: if Chakwera seriously regards his new physique as a leadership model, it thus, means he can set an indelible precedent as far as transforming the nation is concerned. The Head of State raised the gym bar higher for almost everyone to also do some physical exercises once in while if not everyday; not only for trendy appearances but for naturally medical benefits as well.
In terms of leadership model, Chakwera can set a trend which can ripple from ministries, departments, agencies (MDA), city and district councils and even the private sector in which all and sundry can emulate in oder to change the face of the nation. Such a transformation model can cut across all sectors of the economy top down whereby every responsible citizen would wish to push the bars higher and more in order to develop themselves at the same time transform the nation.
Recently, Chakwera commissioned a national clean up exercise in which he lobbied every well meaning citizen to join hands with him in keeping the physical surrounding clean and beautiful at the same time. The exercise now seems to have gone into the thin air, probably because of the resurface of Covid-19 or whatever reason.
But that too was yet another precedent the current leader would wish to set and watch it continue to fruition while everyone too is up and doing some little thing so as to fill the bag to the brim. After all, half and half make full!
