Role Models

I enjoyed so much watching  Kimiko Date-Krumm playing Venus Williams in the 2nd round at Wimbledon yesterday.

Date-san left the tennis circuit in September 1996 but returned to action 11 and a half years later in April 2008, and at 40 years of age not only she claimed her first Wimbledon singles victory since reaching the 1996 semi-finals beating Katie O’Brien 6-0, 7-5 on Monday, but she gave Venus Williams, five-time Wimbledon singles champion, a real shock.

Kimiko played her tennis with great grace and tenacity and not only she simply refused to succumb, but she has also been in charge for most of the match. Williams required almost three hours to withstand the squall. She eventually triumphed 6-7(6-8), 6-3, 8-6, but all the applause was for her opponent.

Arigatou Date-san, for showing us that not only size but also age is not an issue.

“I don’t care about the age, but of course it’s very, very difficult to continue in the best condition all the time. And then every time after the match it’s difficult to recover,” she said.

Kimiko Date-Krumm, 2nd round, 2011 Wimbledon

“I played a very tough opponent,” said Williams of her adversary who came out of a 12-year retirement in 2008. “She doesn’t play anywhere near her age. She’s a huge role model. She hits hard and she runs fast and she’s extremely competitive, as you saw. She came to the net more than me, and it takes a lot to do that. She was managing to get up there and play well.”

Kimiko Date-Krumm v Venus Williams, 2011 Wimbledon

“I hope I can enjoy playing even if I win or lose.”  KD-K

Kimiko Date-Krumm, 2011 Wimbledon

Kimiko Date-Krumm//
Country:	Japan
Birth Date:	28 September 1970
Birth Place:	Kyoto, Japan
Residence:	Tokyo, Japan
Height:	5 ft. 4 in. ( 1.63 metres )
Weight:	117 lbs. ( 53.2 kilos )
Plays:	Right
Turned Pro:	1989

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Thanks Italia!

Grazie Italia! Thanks Italia! Arigatou Italia!

Last Sunday and the following Monday Italians was asked to express themselves in a series of referenda on four questions – two on the privatisation of water, one on nuclear energy and one on a legitimate impediment law (brought in by Mr Berlusconi allowing him to avoid trials if he is too busy to attend).

And the answer was loud and clear: around 57 per cent of eligible voters turned out for the referendums, easily surpassing the 50 per cent that was required to make the results binding, and of those at the polls, between 94 and 95 per cent voted against the four pieces of legislation.

Italy said that we don’t want nuclear energy, we want our water to be pubblic and we want our laws to be equal for everybody.

At last “l’Italia s’è desta…“*!

Thank you Italia.

*(See Italy National Anthem: “Italy has awoken…”)

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