I am big, not fat – Kambwili

SPORTS minister Chishimba Kambwili says he is not obese but merely big. And Kambwili says to demonstarte his levels of fitness, Zambians should watch out for his bout against National Sports Council chairman Mwamba Kalenga at the next boxing tournament. Meanwhile, Kambwili has dismissed assertions that fat people have problems with their sexual performance. In June, President Michael Sata jokingly referred to Kambwili, transport minister Yamfwa Mukanga and mines minister Christopher Yaluma as being “too fat”. Kambwili however explains that he is not fat as the public would like to think, but is just big in stature. He says he exercises regularly at a gym in his home, and also plays football. Kambwili said his body size runs in the family and dismissed the notion that it’s as a result of lack of exercise and poor eating habits. “I have a gym, I have got a treadmill, and I have got weights. I do a lot of exercises. I play football as well. Being big-bodied is not an impediment to exercising. Look at the size of an elephant; an elephant can run but it’s the biggest animal,” he explains. “If you go in the bush and you are pegged against an elephant, it will catch up with you. Everyone can exercise. There are different types of exercises for different bodies. There are exercises for very fat people. You can be fat but not obese if you are exercising. I am naturally big because these are the bodies we have where I come from. I picked it up from my mother’s side. If you see my cousin, you will see what I am talking about. I am not fat, I am only big. I have a big skeleton.” Kambwili says President Sata’s comment on his weight was made in jest. “First and foremost, what the President said was a joke. The President knows me very well. When I joined PF, I was the same weight and if you ask people that knew me during my ZCCM time, I was still the same person. That is why I am saying that I am not obese, I am only big and it’s the natural gene in me. It’s the genes that make me big and not lack of exercise. Otherwise that should not be taken by people as serious indictment on my part. I have been big and the President was merely joking,” he says. And Kambwili challenged those calling him fat to a race. He says Zambians should come and watch him in a boxing bout against Kalenga on the day World Boxing Council women’s bantamweight silver champion Catherine Phiri will be fighting. “Can they have a race with me and you will see that you may be small, but I can run faster than you. Come and see me fight a two-round fight when Catherine will be fighting and you will see how fit I am,” boasts Kambwili. He said exercise was part of healthy living. “When you exercise, it’s rare that you have these opportunistic diseases,” he says. “Exercise on its own is therapy.” Kambwili says people should exercise because it helps their blood circulation and keeps them in shape. “I would encourage all Zambians to exercise. When you exercise and you are healthy, it means we can reduce the cost to the health sector. Once we reduce the cost to health sector, we can use the money we save for other sectors of the economy,” he notes. According to Kambwili, it is important for people to exercise. “In fact under the new sports policy, the one we are calling Komboni Sports, there will be a component of aerobics, physical training for all ages, from a pregnant woman to a one day old kid up to the oldest person in society. There will be volunteers that will be conducting these physical trainings in all the townships. We are going to employ sports coordinators within the council and under the Ministry of Youth and Sports. There is going to be a district sports coordinator,” he says. Meanwhile, Kambwili dismissed claims that fat people have poor sexual performance. Asked to elaborate, Kambwili jokingly replied; “That is not true, on the contrary. It’s a wrong notion and if you want to prove, go and ask GBM.”

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