Kindi Ba (Salt, 2003) was proclaimed absolute champion of Spain in judo in the -81 kg category on December 2 in Pamplona. A title that marks a before and an after in the sports career of the young judoka. Ba established himself as a national sports reference, he took the definitive step to go from being an emerging talent to a reality. It has meant a change of mentality in the Saltenc: “Winning the Spanish Absolute Championship has opened my eyes, knowing that you can achieve it. I had been to this championship twice and had gone home in the first round. It has been a point of calm, to know that you are on the right path».
The medal confirmed the sensations and stealthy work in the shadows, collecting the prize of the discipline of the last years. Causality rather than chance, Kindi acknowledges: “If you study, you pass.” If you train well, you get results. If you do things right, success will come, it’s not about a good year. I have done things well. A lot of order, a lot of discipline, good training, good technique… And this has been the result of this year, which could be more. For example, an international medal would also be good, but this shows me that I am not yet able to get there, only that I am very close to achieving everything I want.’
An unexpected love
If success is due to effort, Kindi’s beginnings in judo are entirely the result of a coincidence of space and time. He is on the spot and at the indicated time made him change his gym clothes to put on the judogi for the first time, recognizes the Girona native: “At my school in Salt they were running a campaign to promote sport. I started doing gymnastics, which was held in the same building as judo. At the end of the first term, I switched to judo, which was done upstairs.”
There he met his first coach, who captivated him and led him slowly and without a point of return into judo: “I really liked his way of thinking, his idea of champion and discipline. This is what made me fall in love and addicted to judo». In one of those training sessions he would end up meeting Jaime Salas, a key figure in Girona-Judo. It was the starting point of Kindi’s successes. First local Championships, then provincial and regional, until reaching the title of absolute Champion of Spain this 2023.
Shared success
Whoever accompanies you during the suffering and loneliness of the preparation, must also accompany you on the day of the awards. And if anyone is particularly attentive when it comes to thanking for guidance, it’s Kindi. I’m sure he learned a lot of these values while learning and practicing judo. Now that he’s raising the bar and setting more ambitious goals, he wants his regulars to accompany him, so that the success is shared. Even his biggest sporting dream is with the Salas brothers in the middle: “My dream would be to be Olympic champion with the help of Jaime and José. It would fill me up a lot. I would really like to win a gold medal or a medal accompanied by the Salas brothers».
For now, that horizon is far away. Faithful to the work that has brought him here, which for a while he had to combine by doing vicissitudes with his studies, Kindi already has his goals set for next year. “In the spotlight I have to win a medal at the European under-23”, admits the judoka.
2023-12-25 05:30:49
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